Mind the Gap
by Sage Thrasher
Summary: A psychiatrist is reborn—and promptly diagnoses the Naruto world as clinically insane. [OC-Insert]
1. Falling

**Chapter One: Falling**

* * *

For all intents and purposes, Mita Kimiko was an ordinary girl. At least, she was ordinary if you ignored the fact that she was actually a twenty-six year old psychiatrist stuck in the body of a six year-old. And that she had been reborn in a fictional universe.

Other than that, she was perfectly normal.

Her parents were merchants and upstanding members of the community. Her grades were slightly above average, and she got along well with all the children in her class. Kimiko was always, _always_ polite to her teachers, and she never caused any trouble.

In other words, the ideal child.

If you questioned her parents about any odd behavior, then they might mention that she had cried a lot as baby. They might also mention her unusual love of reading.

That was the extent of her abnormality.

To any moderately sane person, Kimiko was an ordinary girl who went to Konoha's civilian school.

Of course, they'd be wrong.

* * *

Kimiko—or Kimi, as she preferred to be called—tapped her pencil against the desk as she pretended to struggle with basic math.

"Remember to line up the numbers…" droned on the teacher.

The not-really-six-year-old girl sighed and let her mind wander. Kimi loved learning—she truly did—but sitting through school a second time was not something she wanted to do. Kimi grimaced as she remembered the tons of homework, tests, and (_oh god)_ college applications. Did the Naruto world even have universities? She made a mental note to find out.

Frankly, she still found it hard to believe that she was in a fictional universe. In her past life, she'd casually watched the show _Naruto_, entertained by the humor and world building. Once she had become conscious, Kimi had noticed too many similarities between this world and the show for it to be a coincidence. At first, she'd wondered if everything was a hallucination or something similar. But everything was so detailed, without the inconsistencies she'd come to expect from a dream. Initially, she had refused to believe it was all real, but in the end, she had decided to treat this world as reality and proceed from there.

Really, the situation was quite surreal. Even the thought of reincarnation had been absurd in her past life, but to _experience_ it . . .

And if it was real, how did the reincarnation system work, anyway? Did that mean souls were real? During her early childhood stage—in other words, when she'd been helpless and terribly bored—Kimi had spent hours struggling with the concept.

When she hadn't been pondering "metaphysical nonsense," as she called it, she had been grieving. Kimi knew that the chances of ever seeing her family or friends again were almost nonexistent. And she had left _them_; they hadn't left her. Everyone had probably mourned her loss before moving on to live happy, productive lives. Better her than them. She _realized_ that.

But it still hurt.

Six years in a new world had turned the sharp pain into a dull ache. Being—having been—a psychiatrist, she knew the importance of grieving. Infantile amnesia had made it difficult to even think, but in her toddler years she had cried a great deal.

Never underestimate the healing power of tears. If it wasn't for that damn "Rule 25" of the Shinobi Code, then Konoha's ninja population would be _much_ more mentally stable. And this world wouldn't be as messed up.

"Hey!" A loud voice broke her rather depressing train of thought.

"Yes, Yasu-chan?" asked Kimi, smiling at the boisterous girl.

"Class is done, silly! Let's play outside!"

"Ok, I'm coming." Kimi quickly packed away her books and headed outside for the equivalent of recess. Playing with children was exhausting, but she had plenty of experience with kids. In her past life, she had been the eldest child—and that included her extended family. Wrangling three brothers and six cousins wasn't too different from playing with a class of twenty-seven children. More often than not, she ended up as the referee for the games; which, more often than not, happened to be ninja-related.

Sure, it made Kimi little queasy to watch six-year olds pretend to kill each other with knives, but kids played games like that everywhere, including her own world.

"Goro-kun!" she called out. "Please don't bite Aki-chan! Shinobi don't bite people, remember?" Well, that last part was a lie. Kimi was pretty confident that a trained killer would have no problems with biting someone. But Goro, who was obsessed with everything ninja, didn't need to know that. However, he _did_ need to know not to bite people. Six was too old for biting to be acceptable. His parents really hadn't disciplined him correctly.

Kimi sighed as she tried to keep Aki-chan from fighting back. It wasn't _fun_ to play with these children. More like exhausting, actually. But it was necessary to keep her cover. An anti-social child would only draw attention.

_Necessity._ That had become the guiding force of her new life. Hiding, conforming, pretending . . . everything was _necessary_ in order to survive. Her early life here had been peaceful, but Kimi didn't delude herself by pretending it would always be that way. She was too reasonable for that.

After an uneventful recess, class continued as normal. Kimi expected to be dismissed after "history" class (or propaganda class, as she called it), but the teacher instead held them back for a special announcement.

"Children," said Shun-sensei, attempting to act excited, "I have great news! Tomorrow, two shinobi are coming to talk to the class. Isn't that wonderful?"

The class burst into chatter, but Kimi just felt a sinking feeling. _Shinobi._ From what she could tell, the Third Shinobi War was in full swing. The only reason ninja would spend time at the civilian school instead of the war front was to recruit more _children._

She kept her expression neutral as her classmates chattered enthusiastically. For civilians, even those in Hidden Villages, the shinobi lifestyle possessed incredible allure. But for her, shinobi were simply a reminder of the dangers and risks in her new life. Kimi held back a sigh. All she had to do was keep her head down. Hide. Conform. Pretend. She could do this.

Forcing a grin, Kimi nodded as her 'friend' Yasu babbled about how ninjas were so _awesome._ She followed the girl to the front of the school, waving goodbye.

"Kimi-chan!" Her mother smiled and gave her a hug. Though they weren't her original parents, Kimi loved them all the same. It did disconcert Kimi to be treated like a child, but it was rather hard not to love them when they cared for her unconditionally. "How was your day?"

"Good," Kimi responded. "Two shinobi are coming tomorrow for a dem-demonstration." She deliberately fumbled the last word and beamed at her mom.

"Sounds interesting." Kimi and her mother spent the rest of the walk home chatting about mundane things. Under her cheerful façade, Kimi worried about the two ninja coming to school tomorrow. Everything she had built over the past six years could come tumbling down with one mistake. But there was nothing she _could_ do but wait.

* * *

Lying in bed, Kimi listened as her parents spoke in hushed voices. The walls were thinner than her parents realized, and their daughter wasn't fast asleep like they expected.

"I don't know what to do, Emi. The war is making it difficult to receive shipments of any kind. If there's nothing to sell, then—"

"The war can't last forever, dear. We still have savings. We can hold out for a little longer."

Her father sighed. "I'm not sure we can. With Kimi's school fees and the increasing prices, our savings will be gone in a few months."

"Think positively! At least the village is still safe. _We're_ still safe. All we need to do is weather the storm for a little longer."

A dry chuckle. "The village could be the safest place on earth, but if we don't have money to buy our next meal –"

"Stop it, Takumi. I won't hear any more of this pessimistic nonsense."

She closed her eyes as the familiar argument started up again. Although Kimi had known about the money problem for a while, only recently had finances become an issue. Her father dealt with luxury goods, and not many people could buy fancy soap or perfume in the middle of a war.

With those thoughts in mind, she drifted into a restless slumber.

For the first time in months, Kimi dreamed of the day she died.

* * *

_"This trial's a failure. The lack of any improvement . . ." _

_The voices of her colleagues faded, leaving only silence. Colors around her began to blur, and she was forced into a standstill. _

_ "I—" The world spun around her, faster and faster like some demented carnival ride. Sounds returned and intensified until the noises overwhelmed her._

_"Hey, are you alright?"_

_Dark spots began to eat into her vision. Her head pounded like a hammer was forcing its way through her skull._

_Someone called out her name, and everything went black._

* * *

Kimi woke quietly, taking deep breaths to steady her frantic heart. _Still alive. Still alive._ _I am fine. I am fine._ As she pushed aside the confusion and desperation that lingered, she slowly calmed her jumbled brain. Kimi threw off the covers as she reached for the clock by her bed, grimacing at the time. School wouldn't start for another three hours, but Kimi knew that she couldn't fall back to sleep. With a sigh, she grabbed the journal by her bed.

The nightmares had started when she was four. The first time, she had dismissed the bad dream. But after she had dreamed of her past death for the third time, Kimi had begged her parents to buy her several journals. She couldn't _talk_ to anyone about her nightmares, but writing about traumatic events could be just as therapeutic. The first book functioned simply as that—a place to write down her thoughts and dreams. In the second journal, Kimi had recorded every detail she could remember about the plot of _Naruto_, a show she had casually watched in college and the setting of her current world. After Kimi had begun writing, the dreams had faded in intensity and frequency. She wrote in her books almost religiously, now.

Each book used a different language. The journal she used for describing her past life and current dreams was in English. Her second, more secret journal was written in Spanish. And as a decoy for her parents, she had filled a third book with childish Japanese writing. They were all for reasonable security reasons, but Kimi had acknowledged that her paranoia had increased ten-fold.

Stifling a tired sigh, she flipped open to the first blank page and began writing to quell her mental turmoil.

_I experienced the recurring nightmare of my death. The increased stress from the announcement of the shinobi visitors and the growing financial problems may have contributed to its reoccurrence._

She paused in her writing, listening for any signs that her parents may have awoken.

_I plan to visit the civilian library tomorrow. I finished the children's novel and the book on chakra usage vs. physical health. Much to my disappointment, most of the scientific knowledge is restricted to the Shinobi Archives. Thankfully, civilian doctors are given leeway to access the more advanced medical texts. I don't look forward to completing med school a second time, though I have a suspicion that doctors are trained mostly through apprenticeships here. My parents still haven't noticed the more sophisticated scientific books I smuggle along with the typical kid's stories._

Kimi continued writing mundane facts and events that had happened earlier today, relaxing as the nightmare began to fade from her memory. Dying of (what she assumed was) an aneurism was bad enough the first time, but repeating the experience was not fun. _I must have really pissed off the neurology gods by studying psychiatry instead,_ she thought wryly. With that thought, Kimi hid the journal and pointlessly attempted to fall asleep.

* * *

Kimi finished the last math problem and put her pencil down stiffly. After math, they usually had recess, but the ninja would be giving their "demonstration" today instead.

"Alright, settle down!" The teacher managed to quiet the animated children, which was no small feat. Once the class had become completely silent, the teacher spoke.

"As you know, a shinobi is coming to talk with us. Now, I want you to be on your best behavior. Understand?"

"Yes, sensei!" chorused the class.

"Good. Our special guest should be here any minute."

A sudden swirl of smoke and leaves proved the teacher right. Kimi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Well, this ninja had a flair for the dramatic. Preparing herself for additional dreadful propaganda, Kimi smiled and cheered as the shinobi showed off his "ninja tricks."

Absentmindedly, she noted that Seijo Hito was very good at what he did. His body language was open and welcoming: shoulders relaxed, smiling, making eye contact with each child. His gestures enhanced his performance instead of distracting the students, and he spoke with a clear and steady voice. All in all, Seijo was an excellent speaker, engaging the kids with almost negligible effort. Kimi wondered if he was a teacher at the Academy, as he handled the children with skill that almost impressed her. Of course, then she listened to his actual speech and was reminded of his purpose here. Kimi resisted the urge to scowl. There were only fifteen minutes left. She could do this.

* * *

Yamanaka Isamu watched his teammate lecture the civilian children on the ninja life. The war had decimated the ninja forces, and they were desperate for new soldiers. Well, these children wouldn't be ready for another few years, but they could definitely fill the ranks of the next generation. His partner Hito was a chuunin from a civilian family, putting him in the perfect position to convince these kids. While the children were focused on Hito, Isamu could observe them without attracting any attention and determine which ones were suited for the Academy.

As he watched, somewhat bored, a girl in the back corner caught his eye. Had he just spotted . . . disgust? The girl laughed and gasped at all the right place, but—well, if he didn't know better, he'd say it was forced. Her body language looked slightly uncomfortable, and she seemed unusually focused on the instructor. Odd.

Isamu frowned and turned to the other students. Perhaps it was just his imagination. Eyes narrowed, he made a mental note to learn her name.

* * *

The demonstration . . . actually hadn't been so bad. Even she had to admit that the techniques were impressive. She'd always loved magic shows and fantasy novels. If Kimi ignored what he was saying, she could probably even enjoy the presentation.

Kimi hoped it was a one-time thing and that she would never see that shinobi again. But for some reason, she doubted that.

* * *

Two weeks later, the shinobi visited again. Two weeks after that, they came a third time. The demonstrations continued with regularity. Kimi watched with dismay as several students fell prey to the indoctrination and signed up. Ten out of the twenty-seven children in her class had applied to the Academy, and nine had been accepted. Kimi felt her stomach churn whenever she spotted the empty desks.

Not being trained in the shinobi arts, Kimi failed to notice the second shinobi that always accompanied the chuunin. But the Yamanaka did not fail to notice _her_. As he observed her behavior, his doubts only grew.

* * *

As the lectures continued, the shinobi began speaking less about recruitment, and more about supporting their ninja protectors. Kimi noticed that the ninja even threw in a few first-aid tips for wounds. At least _some_ good had come from the propaganda sessions. The children who wanted to become shinobi had already applied to the Academy, so Kimi supposed that Seijo Hito had continued the visits to solidify the children's respect for ninja.

When the chuunin had announced that this would be the last time he would speak to them, Kimi internally celebrated. _Finally_, she could breathe in peace without fear of chocking on the indoctrination polluting the air.

Hiding her smile behind a pout, Kimi listened as Hito said his goodbyes, reminding them once again that the Academy would accept applications for another three months. He stopped by each student's desk, speaking to each personally. A few students proclaimed their intentions for shinobi-hood loudly and beamed at Hito's encouragement.

". . . and I'm gonna be like Tsunade-sama! I'll be the best kunoichi ever!" The chuunin grinned at the cheerful girl.

"I'm sure you will, Aki-chan. If you work hard and your parents let you try for the Academy, then you'll definitely become a great kunoichi." Hito then moved on to Kimi's desk, resting his hand on the flat surface.

_Mild intimidation_, she thought idly. _Encroaching on personal space, leading to discomfort._

"How about you, Kimi-chan? Do you want to become a kunoichi too?" He leaned forward, still smiling.

Kimi felt a jolt of irrational fear. She had stayed out of the limelight, never attracting attention. Why would he—no, she was just being stupid. Hito had asked that question to almost all of the students. Now was just her turn.

Ducking her head, Kimi looked at the desk shyly. While a part of her toyed with the idea of telling him _exactly_ what she thought of that idea, Kimi's rational side stuck to the plan. "U-um, maybe. Ninja are super cool, but I don't want to get my dress dirty. Mommy would be mad." Kimi fidgeted and looked away.

Perfect. Now she was the image of a wishy-washy civilian girl who was too shy to hurt a fly, let alone kill a person. She was the _worst_ candidate for becoming a ninja.

Seemingly satisfied, Hito nodded. "That's ok, Kimi-chan. Not everyone can be a ninja." He walked to the student behind her, continuing with his farewells.

Relieved, Kimi returned to her doodling. She was safe. She would be fine.

* * *

As a reward for being on their best behavior for their guest, the children were allowed to skip history and spend the rest of the day in recess. Summer vacation was starting soon, so the children weren't learning much anyway.

Kimi sat on the rickety swing, keeping an eye on the children playing fifteen feet away. They were playing hide-and-seek, so they didn't need much supervision. She smiled as a light breeze ruffled her hair, enjoying the pleasant weather. For the first time in weeks, she could relax.

"Mita Kimiko?" said an unfamiliar voice behind her. She quickly jumped off the swing and turned around. What Kimi saw made her blood run cold.

A blond, cheerful looking _shinobi_ was smiling at her. His hands rested by his sides, and his entire body-posture was carefully manipulated to appear as unthreatening as possible.

"Hi." She stepped back cautiously, glancing at her much-too oblivious classmates. "Who are you?"

"My name is Yamanaka Isamu." The light glinted off his hitai-ate as he tilted his head. "Is it alright if I talk to you, Kimiko-chan?"

"Kimi is fine," she replied automatically. Kimi took another step back, eyes flickering to his bandaged leg. "Why do you want to talk to me?" She hesitated. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"But I'm not a stranger," he gently corrected, "I'm a shinobi." Isamu pointed at his hitai-ate. "See?"

"How do I know you're _really_ a shinobi and not an imposter?" she countered. Kimi looked back at the children. They should have noticed the ninja by now—they would have gleefully swarmed him if they knew he was here. _Genjutsu?_

"Well," Isamu paused, "we could go to the Uchiha Police Station by the school, or we could talk to your teacher. If you want, I could give you my shinobi registration number. Then you could look me up later."

She was tempted to run to the police or call the teacher, but that would be much too paranoid for a six-year old.

"Ok. Give me your re-ris-tration number." She purposefully fumbled on the larger world and pouted.

"It's B0059887623," he recited. Kimi nodded as she committed the string of numbers to memory.

"So, what do you want?" Kimi kicked the pebble by her foot and forced herself to look up.

He waved his hand towards the picnic table by the swing. "Why don't we sit down first?"

She followed the ninja and seated herself on the other side of the table. Kimi waited for the ninja to say the first word.

"As I mentioned before, my name is Yamanaka Isamu. I'm Hito-san's partner." He smiled again. "While Hito-san was busy teaching everyone about ninjas, I was watching the class for those exceptional students that would succeed as shinobi or kunoichi."

Kimi said nothing. After a moment, the Yamanaka continued.

"Kimi-chan, why don't you want to be a ninja?" His tone was soft and neutral as he abruptly changed topics.

"B-because I don't wanna get dirty. Mama would be mad," she mumbled in reply, caught off guard.

Isamu tapped his fingers against the table. "I want to know the real reason. We both know you're lying." His voice didn't change, but his posture did.

Kimi tensed involuntarily, cursing her childish body. "W-what?" she said with a deliberate hint of indignation. "I'm telling the truth!"

Isamu clasped his hands leaned forward. "For a six year old, you're an extremely good liar. But did you really think you could deceive a shinobi? Especially one from the Intelligence Department?" His smile grew a tad darker. "I think you're smarter than that. Right, Kimi-chan?"

"What do you mean?" Kimi kept her gaze steady before realizing that a child wouldn't be so nonchalant about the situation. Hiding a grimace, she maintained eye-contact with the shinobi regardless.

"Despite your remarkable attempts, you haven't managed to hide everything. I've been observing you for a while, Kimi-chan. You may have fairly average grades, but I have no doubt that you are far more intelligent that you pretend to be. Why else would you check out _An In-Depth Analysis of the Chakra Systems of Aquatic Species? _Bit heavy reading material for a civilian student, don't you agree?"

Kimi's eyes widened slightly. _Shit._

"There's also your interaction with the other children to take into account." Isamu tilted his head back slightly. "You don't treat them like peers. In fact, you act more like a teacher than the actual instructors in your school. But that's understandable. Intelligent children often have trouble interacting as equals with people from their age group. What I don't understand is why you go to such lengths to hide your… _genius._" His smile faded. "If it wasn't for your impeccable background, I'd think you're a spy."

Isamu loomed over her, and Kimi cringed. "I'm still not entirely convinced." His voice lost all emotion. "So, _Kimi-chan_, why don't you want to be a ninja? Give me a good reason why I shouldn't take you to Torture and Intelligence right now."

A few seconds passed. Finally, Kimi looked up, and for the first time, she dropped her childish façade.

"I don't want to be a ninja because I don't want to kill others." _And creating child soldiers is absolutely despicable._

"Oh?" Isamu raised an eyebrow and waited for her to continue.

"There's also the increased mortality rate to consider, but fear of death isn't my main reason." _I've already experienced dying, after all._ "I… I want to be a doctor. It would be somewhat hypocritical of me to actively murder when I want to save lives."

"You could become a med-nin."

Kimi shook her head. "Well, I could. But there's still the chance that I'll have to commit murder. _Do no harm_," she added sardonically. He wouldn't understand the reference, but the point remained.

"Hm…" Isamu's pupil-less eyes examined her. "Why did you lie when Hito-san asked you?"

Kimi gave him an unimpressed look. "Did you think I hadn't noticed? Your indoctrination wasn't exactly subtle. My answer would have undermined your propaganda, and speaking against it would have brought attention to me." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "These kids don't understand the hardships of a ninja life. Killing isn't easy. They may learn _super-cool _jutsu, but they'll end up with more mental problems than they can count."

"I did notice that you checked out several psychology books. A passing interest?" He ignored her previous statements, throwing her off balance again.

"Well, yes." Kimi paused and collected her thoughts. "Child-development books are incredibly useful when you're a genius who doesn't know how to act like an ordinary kid." _Though most of my knowledge came from the child-development course I took in med school. But this makes an excellent excuse._

"But why hide your intelligence? You're clearly a brilliant girl."

Kimi blinked incredulously. "Are you kidding me? Do you know how difficult child prodigies have it?"

The Yamanaka chuckled. "I suppose you're right." He looked at her expectantly.

_Ah, silence,_ she thought. _The most effective tool for interrogation. _Kimi sighed and spoke. "I'm not a spy. Really, I'm not!" she exclaimed after seeing his raised eyebrow. "I haven't even met anyone from outside of Konoha." _Oh god. I don't want to be tortured, but I doubt they'll trust me. It's not like I can tell the whole truth._

"I know."

"What? Wait, you believe me?" She tried to hide her shock.

It was the shinobi's turn to look incredulous. "Kid, I'm a trained shinobi interrogator with years of experience. You may be a genius, but you're a six year old who can't even act like a normal child. I can _obviously _tell when you're lying."

"Um, thanks?"

Isamu smirked. He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.

"You'd make an excellent kunoichi. It would be an absolute shame to waste your talents. If you ever do change your mind, contact me. The Intelligence Department could use you."

Kimi glanced at the paper. "Thanks, but I'd prefer not to be used by anyone just yet."

He inclined his head. "I respect your decision, even if I don't agree with it." Isamu stood abruptly, giving her another cheerful smile. "Good luck, Kimi-chan. I hope you succeed in whatever you choose."

Kimi studied him, trying to gauge his sincerity. "Thank you, Yamanaka-san." _I hope to never see you again._

With a playful wave, Isamu disappeared in a puff of smoke.

She sighed and folded the paper, tucking it away. _Well, that did not go as I expected. But then again, when does the universe ever do _anything _expected?_

* * *

Yamanaku Isamu jotted down the last few words, briefly reading over his work to check for errors.

"Isamu?" called a familiar voice. The chuunin glanced up to see his older brother standing by a dusty shelf.

"Yes?" Isamu rolled the scroll up and set it on the table..

"Father was looking for you." The fellow blond picked up the scroll, examining it.

"Thanks, Inoichi-nii. I'll head to his office in a few minutes." Isamu grabbed the scroll from his brother and placed beside the others in the archive.

"You're adding a new file?" asked Inoichi. "On who?"

Like most other shinobi clans, the Yamanakas had a special library known as the clan archive for secret techniques and information. However, the Yamanaka clan also had a separate library for personnel reports. Besides having files on every ninja in Konoha, they also had extensive information on anyone they considered important, foreign or civilian. There was a reason that Konoha had the best Bingo Book out of all the nations—and that reason was the Yamanaka clan.

Isamu shrugged. "I'm just adding an entry-level file on a child I met during my rotation at the civilian school." An entry-level file was basically a mark of potential, denoting a person to keep an eye on.

"Oh? One who wanted to be a shinobi? Or one from a prominent family?" Inoichi looked vaguely interested.

"Neither. In fact, she told me that the very idea of becoming a ninja was distasteful." At Inoichi's curious expression, he continued. "The girl—Mita Kimiko, I believe—is a genius with close to Nara-level intellect. She was able to correctly determine our motives, going as far to call it _indoctrination_. She checks out advanced science books for fun, and her vocabulary and maturity is far beyond her age." He chuckled. "The girl is terrible at acting like a child, though. Granted, she could completely manipulate any civilian or untrained genin, but an average ninja would see right through her. But if she had a bit of training…" Isamu trailed of meaningfully.

"I can see why you added a file on her." Inoichi grimaced slightly. "It's a shame she decided on a different career."

"Who knows? Mita Kimiko is only six. She might end up _changing _her mind_._"

"Of course." His older brother returned the mirthless smile. "She just might."

* * *

**AN: **I wrote this because I wanted to read a story where a mental health professional interacts with the Naruto world. As such, this story _will _be discussing mental illness and trauma. However, I am not a professional myself, and I welcome corrections.

This story is _very_ slow-building. It will also discuss politics, society, and similar concepts—though action, adventure, and drama will be equally present. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Deceiving

**Chapter Two: Deceiving **

* * *

Her parents were arguing again.

For the past few months, she had thought that their money problems were solved with the steady shipment of goods from down south. However, her family's troubles had returned with a vengeance. From what Kimi could tell, her father's supplier had suddenly broken their contract before switching to a different Konohan merchant. Their already precarious financial situation had instantly become worse.

As Kimi laid awake, arms crossed behind her head, she heard whispers of her past life over the heated conversations of her parents. Memories of worried conversations about rent, utility bills, and loans emerged from the depths of her mind. Financial problems were nothing new to someone who had been raised by a single mother on low-income. Hell, she had faced them herself during university, struggling to pay her college tuition and keep her partial scholarship. Some things never changed, she supposed.

"We won't be able to pay Kimi's school fees with our savings anymore. We'll have to borrow money."

"But we can't just take a loan! We can wait just a little longer… just until the war is over."

"You've been saying that for the past two years! We can't keep pretending that the war will end tomorrow, Emi! We could lose the _house_ if this keeps up! Do you want to be _homeless?_"

Guilt washed over Kimi as she listened to the rising voices. She had been a self-sufficient woman for years before her rebirth, and here she was, depending on two struggling adults. Kimi knew that her parents didn't see it that way, but she certainly did. Almost unwillingly, Kimi glanced at the bookshelf where she kept her journals, thinking about the offer that Isamu had made.

_I will not drive another parent into debt. I will not be a burden, not again. Never again._

* * *

She rubbed her eyes and sighed, pushing away the books that surrounded her. After a week of research, Kimi concluded that attending the Academy would be the best for her family's financial situation. Unlike the civilian schools, children could attend the Academy for free. However, if said child didn't become genin, then the accumulated tuition would become debt. Supplies had to be paid for out of pocket, though—but compared to normal school fees, the overall cost was definitely cheaper. Even if student chose not to attend on a subsidy, tuition for the Academy was much less expensive than a civilian's school.

Honestly, Kimi preferred quitting school and working to becoming a ninja, but her parents absolutely refused to let her get any kind of job. In fact, when she mentioned leaving school to help out (somehow) with the business, they had point-blank refused, despite their money problems. It made sense, she supposed. Kimi was only six to them—regardless of her mental age.

She grimaced. Her parents had finally turned to loans in order to keep the roof over her head and food on the table. Though they tried to hide it, Kimi knew that her family was incredibly close to declaring bankruptcy and losing everything. If she did attend the Academy, she'd at least be able to save them money. School in Konoha was extremely expensive. And attending the Academy did not mean she'd _have _to become a ninja.

Besides, practically all the doctors in Konoha were current or retired ninja—which something Kimi had just realized. The Med Corps, which ran the main hospital, required applicants to be at least genin. From a security perspective, it was entirely reasonable. It was easiest to kill a ninja when they were already injured. By requiring the doctors to be ninja themselves, the risk of traitors and sabotage was reduced significantly. She still wanted to be a doctor, but there was no way her parents could send her to the capital to study medicine.

And since Kimi preferred fixing people to killing them, becoming a med-nin was a viable option. Medical personnel were rarely on the front lines. Joining the Med Corps was perhaps the one way she could reduce her parent's burden without compromising her integrity. Kimi winced. She would _not_ stoop to murder_. Naruto hadn't killed anyone in the show, right? _ But the thought offered no comfort.

Kimi's gaze fell upon the slip of paper beside her books. She picked it up and reread the small but neat letters written upon the stationary. The Yamanaka did say to visit if she changed her mind… but she had no doubt that the shinobi had his own agenda.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion, regardless of bias. The psychiatrist-turned-girl stood up and grabbed her coat. Ignoring her doubts, Kimi headed to the Yamanaka flower shop.

* * *

"Um… excuse me?" Kimi looked up at the blonde woman with wide eyes and a rather adorable smile.

"Oh, hello there!" The woman turned from the potted plant and smiled at the young girl. After glancing around, the florist realized that the child was alone. That wasn't so strange. Generally speaking, clan children and children from ninja families were very independent, so it wasn't too unusual to see them running errands alone. However, this girl was definitely a civilian. "Are you searching for your parents?" she asked.

Kimi shook her head. "My parents are both at work, and my babysitter is just outside." _Well, my father is at work, my mother is sleeping at home, and I don't have a babysitter._

Skeptical but unwilling to push the point, the blonde woman nodded. "I see. Well, how can I help you?"

Kimi looked at her with a serious expression on her face. When the girl spoke, her voice was calm and confident. "My name is Mita Kimiko. I need to schedule an appointment with Yamanaka Isamu. I assume that I can contact him via flower shop?" She quirked a smile and handed the florist the card.

The woman examined the paper and gently placed it aside. "I see," she said smoothly, hiding her surprise and discomfort. "I'll let him know that you visited."

"Thank you." Kimi nodded in appreciation before leaving, intent on returning home as soon as possible.

* * *

Exactly one week later, Kimi received a scroll from a strawberry-blond preteen. From the looks of it, the haggard boy had been recently promoted to genin—and assigned to non-stop message duty. After thanking him, she retreated to the privacy of her room and opened the scroll.

_12th of Summer, the 32nd Year of the Shodaime's Reign_

_Mita Kimiko,_

_The Yamanaka clan would be honored to meet you on the 19th of Summer at two past noon._

At the end of the thick parchment was the Yamanaka clan seal: a stylized bush-clover stamped in black.

With a short sigh of amusement and apprehension, Kimi rolled up the scroll and tucked it carefully in her bookshelf. It seemed like a waste of paper and ink to send such a short message to her. Kimi wondered if she should send a reply, but ultimately she decided against it. _She_ didn't have much paper to spare, and her acceptance would be implied anyway.

Kimi suddenly heard footsteps outside her door, so she grabbed a novel, opening it to a random chapter, and flopped on her bed.

"Kimi-chan?" Her tired mother opened the door and smiled. "Thanks for letting me sleep."

"It's fine!" she chirped in reply. With a laugh, Kimi's mother patted her head.

"Do you want to eat lunch now? There's leftover curry from yesterday."

"Sure!" With some difficulty, Kimi pushed the thoughts of a potential career as a kunoichi and turned her mind to food. After all, curry was delicious—especially in this world.

* * *

Kimi unnecessarily smoothed her skirt as she stood in front of the Yamanaka Clan Compound. Impressed, she observed the intricate metal gates and the flowers that surrounded the wall. Somehow, the Yamanaka clan had managed to make their complex look simultaneously welcoming and threatening.

Hesitantly, she took a step forward and nodded to the two boys on gate duty.

"Hello," she stated politely. "My name is Mita Kimiko. I am here to speak with Yamanaka Isamu."

The boy's pupil-less eyes examined her. After a few seconds, he spoke. "Right this way, please."

As Kimi followed the boy past the gates, she once again wondered about the Yamanaka clan's powers. Obviously, they had to do with the mind—their most famous jutsu was the Mind Body Switch. Did their powers include telepathy? It wasn't too much of a stretch; in fact, it was probably easier than switching with a person's entire consciousness. Was that the secret behind the Ino-Shika-Cho trinity's famous teamwork?

For not the first time, Kimi wished she remembered more about the show. She had written down as much of it as she could, but there were still a frightening amount of gaps in her memory.

They stopped in front of the largest and most elegant building. The boy gestured towards the door with a well-practiced motion.

"Yamanaka-sama is expecting you." He opened the door and ushered her in, causing Kimi to bite back a smile at the extreme politeness he was showing to a supposed six-year old.

"Thank you," she said with uttermost seriousness. The door closed behind her with a soft click.

"Kimi-chan! It's good to see you again. I'm glad you accepted my offer." Yamanaka Isamu grinned, almost abnormally cheerful.

"Likewise."

While making meaningless but mandatory small talk, Isamu led her to a sitting room located deeper in the building. Like everything else in the complex, the room was decorated in light pastel shades, and vases of flowers were strategically placed in various locations. Kimi sat in the blue couch, while Isamu took the armchair across from her. Breaking off their conversation, he smiled rather mysteriously.

"My father should be here… right now, actually." As he spoke, two more blond men entered the room, followed by a pretty brunette woman carrying a traditional Japanese tea set. _Telepathy?_ she wondered again. _Or just ninja skills?_

"Father," said Isamu, suddenly solemn, "I present to you Mita Kimiko. I made her acquaintance during my rotation at the civilian schools. Kimi-chan, this is my father Yamanaka Inobu, the clan head. Next to him is my brother and the clan heir, Yamanaka Inoichi."

The oldest blond man nodded kindly in her direction. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mita-san." Kimi blinked at the overly formal address. There was no need to speak so politely to a child, especially a civilian one of no importance. The sudden formality was rather disconcerting, particularly when considering that she was _speaking to the clan head_. Why _was _such an important ninja speaking to her at all? And why was he treating her as an equal?

"Please, call me Kimi." She watched with fascination as the unintroduced woman prepared the tea with graceful movements. It was almost like watching a dance.

The man inclined his head. "As you wish." Inobu raised the filled teacup and took a sip. "Kimi-san, I noticed that you didn't come with your parents."

"Ah…" She looked down at her own teacup, dropping any remnants of her childish charade. "My parents are unaware of the situation," she said simply.

"Oh?" said the clan head, blond eyebrow raised.

"They believe me to be a regular child." Kimi smiled back. "I'd prefer to keep it that way. Right now, my parents both think I am at a friend's house. They do not expect me back until five."

"I see." Inobu set his teacup down. "Do you mind if I ask a few questions?"

"No, not at all."

What followed was one of the strangest conversations that Kimi had ever participated in—and this included both lives. It was like an interrogation session thinly veiled under normal conversation. She was quizzed on everything, from politics and history to math and science.

It made Kimi want to cry.

Not because of the difficulty of the questions, but because of how the three Yamanakas were treating her.

They were treating her like an adult.

After six years of unintentional belittlement by others and constant secrecy about her intelligence, the ability to act normally caused Kimi to feel almost giddy. She struggled to keep a smile off her face as they discussed the current political system in Kirigakure.

"You think we should intervene with the Mizukage's reign?" asked Inoichi curiously.

If Kimi remembered correctly, Inoichi was Ino's father. Excepting the brief glimpses of the Sandaime during important festivals and events, Inoichi was the first actual character she had seen. Other than the hair and eyes, Inoichi looked nothing like his animated counterpart. In other words, he looked like an actual person. Suddenly uncomfortable, Kimi cut that train of thought. Thinking about this universe's fictionality always made her doubt her sanity.

Kimi frowned and finally answered the clan heir's question. "I don't think we—Konoha, that is—should directly intervene in Kirigakure. We _are_ in the middle of a war. However, the Mizukage is notorious for his ill-treatment of anyone with a bloodline limit. He's tolerating them for now because of their use on the battlefield, but once this war is over, I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to kill them all."

"You think that the Mizukage will stoop to genocide?"

"I have no doubt." _That's what happened in the anime, after all._ "What Konoha could do is to offer refugee to clans or shinobi from Kirigakure once the war is over. We're known for our favorable views of clans and bloodlines, so we should take advantage of that in order to gain more powerful ninja." _And, you know, help people and prevent genocide, but I don't think that argument will convince many shinobi._

"What about the security risks?" replied Inoichi. "Adding all those foreigners, especially after a war, would be a huge liability."

She waved her hand dismissively, internally cringing at what she said next. "Oh, I'm not saying we should accept every person who knocks at our door. We can afford to be selective. There's also the Intelligence Division to take care of that. I'm sure the Torture and Interrogation department could use the experience." Kimi's face grew grim. "Besides, once the purges start, the victims' need for survival will outweigh any misguided patriotism."

"You seem fairly confident about the probability that these so-called purges will actually occur." The clan leader inspected her searchingly from under half-lidded eyes.

"It's just logic." Kimi ducked her head with embarrassment. _And future knowledge. I shouldn't be talking about this… why _am_ I talking about this?_

"Well, we will have to wait and see how the situation turns out," said Inobu finally, ending the discussion. He pressed his fingers together and smiled at her. "Kimi-san, are you currently attending civilian school?"

Kimi looked up, surprised. The topic changes had been incredibly subtle before, moving from one issue to another almost seamlessly. To catch her off guard, they had suddenly changed gears, so to speak. Conversational manipulation seemed to be one of the Yamanaka's specialties.

"Currently, yes," Kimi answered. "However, I plan to join the Academy this fall. In fact, that's why I set an appointment with Isamu-san. He asked me to contact him if I wanted to become a kunoichi."

"And do you want to be a kunoichi?" Inoichi leaned forward, hands clasped.

"Joining the Academy is the best option for me." Kimi sipped her tea with mild enthusiasm, not entirely answering the question. Really, the tea was excellent—not too bitter, with an undercurrent of… some flavor she couldn't recognize.

"If you don't mind me asking, which plan will you attend the Academy on?"

"Probably the Graduation Plan," she replied, referring to the plan where children could attend the Academy almost for free with the condition of reaching genin. Not being an orphan, Kimi didn't qualify for the Advancement Plan, which paid for everything, including supplies. "I might attend on the Tuition Plan, though that's unlikely considering—"

Kimi stopped. She had almost blurted out her family's financial status to complete strangers. Honestly, she had better self-control than that. What was she doing? A child's body didn't mean a child's mentality. She covered her awkward break with a cough, drinking the tea to avoid continuing the statement.

Thankfully, the Yamanaka ignored her mistake and proceeded as if nothing had happened.

"How do you feel about attending the Academy on a sponsorship instead?" questioned the clan head lightly, tapping on the ceramic cup.

"Sponsorship?" Slight confusion bled into her words.

The three shinobi looked at each other.

"The Yamanaka clan wishes to sponsor you for the Academy." Inobu carefully examined the girl's reaction.

Startled, Kimi stared with wide-eyes at the Yamanaka trio. "What?"

"Are you aware of how sponsorships work?" Inoichi smiled at her again.

"Somewhat," she managed to say. "Though I don't know the details."

The Yamanaka head began to clarify. "If a child enters the Academy, his or her clan will take care of everything—paperwork, tuition, supplies, and so on. A clan looks out for its own, after all." Inobu paused here. "Occasionally, a clan may wish to extend the same treatment to a child who might not be a member. In that case, the clan offers what is known as a sponsorship. It is normally given to children who… have the clan's abilities but not its name."

_That_ _was the politest way of saying _bastard_ that I have ever heard, _thought Kimi with amusement.

Inobu continued with his explanation, expression still neutral and polite. "However, sponsorships are also extended to civilian children or orphans that show exceptional potential." The blond man caught her gaze and held it. "Kimi-san, we recognize that you have the capability to become an incredibly-skilled kunoichi. As I stated earlier, the Yamanaka clan is willing to sponsor you for the Academy."

"I…" She licked her dry lips and started again. "I am honored, but… well, why?" Hastily, she added, "I mean, I am grateful but—" Kimi stopped and took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "What's the catch?" she said, deciding to eschew subtlety altogether. "Why should I accept your sponsorship instead of simply going on the Graduation Plan?"

"The conditions are simple. Your ranking must stay in the top ten of your year, and you must serve for seven years as a kunoichi. Generally, you are expected to defer to the clan's judgment. In return, we will pay for everything in full and give you our backing in all matters, legal or otherwise. "

"Also," hinted Inoichi, "promotions are also much easier to obtain with a clan's help."

Kimi shook her head.

"If I graduate, I plan to enter the Med Corps. I want to serve no more than my required time, and I have no desire to stand out. Will the clan really be willing to support a student who does not want to advance in her career? And considering my wish to remain unnoticed, why should I accept the sponsorship of a prominent clan?"

"Because civilian children get screwed over in the Academy," interjected Isamu, blunter than a hammer. He shrugged at his father's warning look. "It's true. Not every clan child makes it onto a team or an apprenticeship. The ones that do end up in the different corps always receive the best jobs. Most civilian-born ninja—unless they're rich or extremely talented, of course—are assigned to the outposts or the other unwanted positions. Why do you think civilian genin and chuunin have a higher mortality rate? It's not only due to lack of skill. Accepting the sponsorship will keep you _alive, _even if you do enter one of the corps."

"Of course, we will also provide additional training." Inobu effortlessly took control of the conversation. "Civilians are often at a disadvantage in the Academy, especially when compared to clan and shinobi children with years of training."

"But… why are you doing this? What's in it for you?" Kimi frowned. The sponsorship's benefited her disproportionally. Why would a shinobi clan ever offer a sponsorship if they had nothing to gain?

"Is altruism not motivation enough?" Isamu answered her frown with a smile. Kimi gave him a flat, unamused stare.

Inoichi sighed. "Several reasons. First, the war hit Konoha hard. The village is in desperate need of ninja—competent ninja, not just front-line fodder. Hence, the sponsorship. And it is not just the Yamanaka clan that is offering them. The other clans are looking for promising children as well."

Kimi waited for him to continue. No further reply seamed forthcoming.

"And?" she prompted.

"You don't expect us to tell you everything, do you? Figure the rest yourself." Isamu's smile became a smirk.

"Please excuse my son's rudeness, but do consider the offer." The Yamanaka head sent a reprimanding glance and motioned to his younger son. Isamu quickly left the room.

She took a moment to admire the Yamanaka's skill. They were playing something similar good cop/bad cop but much more subtle and effective. Inoichi handled most of the general questions and questioning, Isamu took care of the hard questions that a clan heir couldn't politely deal with, and Inobu acted as tempering presence, exuding authority and filling in for the other two. Their technique was practically flawless.

Kimi hummed noncommittally. "Am I even allowed to make the decision? I may be mature, but I am physically six."

The clan leader looked at her with something similar to approval. "It is a simple process to legally emancipate you. You need not worry. I will handle everything personally."

"Emancipate me?" said Kimi, alarmed. "I don't want to be separated from my parents!"

Inoichi laughed kindly. "Emancipation will only make you a _legal_ adult, nothing else. The law will recognize you as a full citizen, capable of making your own decisions."

Kimi's eyebrows furrowed. Was it that easy to become emancipated in this world? The implications were plain _disturbing._ Suddenly, she saw Naruto's situation in a whole new light. Had he been alone from such a young age? No matter what anyone said, six was not old enough to be considered an adult.

Now she had another thing to add to her list of "things messed up about this world."

Regardless of her moral conundrums, legal adulthood would be extremely useful for her. Kimi put her reservations aside and nodded slowly.

"I got it!" Isamu cheerfully exclaimed, reentering the room with a thick stack of papers. He handed them to her and took his seat.

Kimi smiled her thanks and began reading, carefully examining each sentence for hidden meanings. She knew how contracts worked—loopholes were not a new concept for her. But for the most part, the contract was just as they had said. After reading through the documents twice, just to make sure, Kimi set them aside and considered her options. The advantages from accepting the sponsorship were enormous—but at the same time, it seemed too good to be true.

"May I have a few days to consider your offer?" she asked, still unsure.

"No."

Kimi looked up, startled at the clan head's blunt reply.

"You must decide now. If you have reservations about becoming a kunoichi, then the Yamanaka has no interest in sponsoring you." Calmly, Inobu sipped his tea and watched her. All three clan members observed her, serious expressions replacing the friendly ones from before.

Clever. They added a time constraint to increase pressure, making her more likely to agree. She closed her eyes as she decided what to do next, ignoring her slight but growing headache. From a rational standpoint, she had no reason to refuse. And yet…

"I accept."

The atmosphere turned friendly again. "Excellent," murmured the clan head. He pointed to a dotted line on the last page. "All you need to do is sign your name here."

She glanced at the inkwell that had been placed beside the paper. Hesitantly, Kimi grasped the delicate brush and dipped it into the inkwell. She watched as the black ink soaked into the soft fibers. Then, in neat, legible characters, Kimi signed her full name on the paper.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Kimi-san." Yamanaka Inobu smiled at her, appearing rather grandfatherly—but for a brief moment, his eyes seemed almost sad.

* * *

"She exceeded every one of my expectations." The Yamanaka clan head looked at his youngest son with satisfaction.

"And mine," added Inoichi. "When you said Kimi was smart, I didn't expect her to be _that_ smart. She definitely has intelligence—but her maturity is even more surprising." _And unnerving_, he thought. _She acted just like a miniature adult._

Isamu grinned sheepishly. "I wasn't any more aware than you were."

"But Mita Kimiko is clearly a civilian. She will need much training to match a clan child." Inobu pinned his heir with a sharp look. "Are you sure about choosing her for the sponsorship?"

Slowly, Inoichi nodded. "I _am_ sure."

"Good," said the head, pleased. "I suggest you start training her with basic skills and physical training. Ask around if you need any help." Inobu rose, silently dismissing his children. "And Inoichi?"

His eldest son paused by the door.

"Remember to give her a background in drugs and poisons. It would be inconvenient if there is a repeat of today. Not everyone is as kind as we are."

"Of course, father." Inoichi stepped out of the study, closing the door quietly behind him.

* * *

At dinner that night, Kimi finally confronted her parents.

_I can't put it off. They deserve to know. _She frowned. Kimi was more nervous than she expected—she had a pounding headache, sweaty palms, and an upset stomach. _Why in the world did I accept the Yamanaka's offer again? My life has suddenly become ten-times more complicated. I should have just attended the Academy by myself_. Kimi closed her eyes. _But it's too late to back out now._

"Mom, Dad, I need to tell you something." She placed her fork down and waited until she had their full attention.

"What is it, Kimi?" asked her mother, a little confused at how serious the child was acting.

"I will be attending the Academy."

The two adults stared.

"What?" Her father blinked rapidly. "Where did that come from?"

Kimi's mother looked thoughtful. "I think Kimi recently had her ninja-orientation."

"Oh!" Chuckling, her father took another bite of his rice. "I remember that. For nearly a month, I begged my parents to enroll me in the Academy."

A smile danced on the older woman's lips. "I wanted to be a kunoichi when I was Kimi's age, too. I used to think it was so romantic."

"I'm serious," interrupted Kimi. Startled by her sharp tone, the two adults turned back to her. "I already signed up."

Her father's forehead wrinkled. "What are you talking about, Kimi?"

"The Yamanaka clan offered me a sponsorship. I accepted." She stood up, leaving to retrieve the thick packet of paper hidden in her room. "Here." She handed the contract to her still-shocked father, who took it numbly. Almost mechanically, he began reading. Once he finished, he silently handed it to Kimi's mother.

Her other parent was more vocal in expressing her thoughts as she read. "Full payment for tuition and supplies? Complete legal backing? Extra training?" Her mother looked up. "How… how did you…"

"One of the shinobi at the orientation was a member of the Yamanaka clan. He spoke to the clan head about sponsoring me. Yamanka-sama agreed, so they enrolled me into the Academy."

"They can't do that without our permission!" said her father suddenly, voice coloring with anger.

"They can." Kimi gazed calmly at her father. "I don't know the details, but you can talk to Inobu-sama if you want." That was a lie. She knew that they had emancipated her—but she didn't want to be the one who broke the news to her parents. Besides, she had to keep _some_ of the childish façade that her parents were used to.

"You bet I will," her father snarled. He stormed out of the room, dinner forgotten.

_That went… pretty much how I expected._

After a brief glance in the direction of her husband, Kimi's mother examined her with concern. "Kimi, are you sure about this? Do you really want to be a kunoichi?"

_No. I don't. I don't want to hurt or kill, and I'll do my damn best to make sure that doesn't happen_. "I'm sure, mommy." Kimi deliberately used the more babyish form of address, reaching up to hug her mother. "I'm sure."

* * *

**AN: **Yes, the Yamanaka did what you think they did.

If you have any questions—any questions at all about Kimi's decision or anything in the story—please PM me/leave them in a review. I'd be happy to explain the rationale behind the decision.

I forgot to do this last chapter, but here are some recommendations for other SI/OC-insert fics. I've read a lot, and many have inspired this story. I'll try to recommend at least one fanfic every chapter. I'll start with the big three: **Dreaming of Sunshine** by _Silver Queen,_ **Vapors **by _ElectraSev5n, _and **Catch Your Breath **by _Lang Noi._ All are great. Also, any story written _Darkpetal16_ is generally very good.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!


	3. Improving

**Chapter Three: Improving**

* * *

After finding out that yes—his daughter was enrolled in the Academy, and no—he could not change that, Kimi's father was in a terrible mood the entire week. It was only made worse by the elegant letter that invited Kimi, and only Kimi, to visit the Yamanaka clan compound.

The psychiatrist-turned-child simply sighed at the waste of paper from sending the overly formal invitation. Though worded as a request, the letter was practically an order. She had no choice but to go.

Kimi gave her parent's one last hug before heading out the door.

"I'll see you soon! Bye!"

Kimi's mother and father half-heartedly replied to her farewells. With a slight twinge of guilt, Kimi hurried to the complex, nodding once to the teenage guards by the gate. Like last time, she was escorted to an empty room where she waited patiently.

"Kimiko-san!" called out a voice. She flinched and spun around.

"Inoichi-sama?" Kimi blinked at the clan heir. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, don't be so formal." The blond grinned at her. "Call me sensei instead."

"Wait. _You're_ the one who's teaching me?" Why was _Inoichi—_clan heir and member of the current generation's Ino-Shika-Cho trio—here? She'd expected a less important clan member.

Remembering her manners, she hastily added, "Please, call me Kimi-chan." Using the suffix of _san _for a child had to be rather uncomfortable. Besides, she was so used to being called by a diminutive that formalities seemed almost strange.

"Ok, Kimi-chan," agreed Inoichi easily, smiling in return. "I was planning on starting your training today. Why don't we head to the training fields?"

"Sure." Kimi followed the shinobi in silence as the left the building and walked across the complex. Eventually, they came to a large field at the edge of the compound. She quickly scanned the field and saw no one else, which was rather surprising.

"This is one of the clan's personal training grounds," Inoichi explained, catching her confused expression. "This particular field is generally reserved for the main family."

"Ah." There it was again. _Why all this special treatment?_

"I think it would be a good idea to start on taijutsu first." Inoichi looked at her seriously. "Are you ready? The training won't be easy."

"I understand." She couldn't back out now.

"Good. We'll begin with how to fall—or what is properly known as _ukemi_." Inoichi stepped back, his footsteps silent against the flattened ground. "Many injuries, especially broken bones, are caused by improper landings. And if your enemy causes you to fall, then you must know how to recover."

She nodded, listening intently to his words.

"I'll demonstrate the basic fall." The blond fell to the ground and rolled, ending in a standing position. "The most important part is the roll. Even if you fall awkwardly, rolling can mitigate the damage. And staying stationary is an excellent way to end with a kunai to your throat." He looked at her. "Now, I want you to bend over, as if you're trying to touch your toes."

Kimi obeyed, letting her fingers brush her feet. Inoichi walked closer and shook his head. "We'll have to get you proper shoes," he muttered. "Those will cause you to break your ankle. Take them off for now."

Kimi blinked. "Ok." She hastily discarded her shoes. After setting them aside, she leaned over again. Inoichi knelt beside her and adjusted her arm.

"Turn your elbow to the side. Since you're right-handed, your instinct will be to fall on that arm. If you turn your right arm to the side, you'll be able to control your fall easier." He walked to the side. "Now, I want you to roll. Tuck your chin and fall."

_Like gymnastics tumbling_, thought Kimi, remembering P.E. class. She fell forward gracelessly and ended up sprawled on her back.

"Again."

She tried again, with about the same results. He adjusted her footing and gave her a gentle push, causing her to fall again. Each time Kimi fell, Inoichi would comment, correct her, and make her do it again.

Her arms and legs soon became tired, but at least her form was proper now.

"Good," said Inoichi finally. Then, without a word of warning, he swept her feet out from under her with a well-timed kick.

Kimi barely managed to roll, landing clumsily on her shoulder instead of on her feet.

Inoichi offered a hand, which Kimi grudgingly took.

"Not bad," he remarked with a smile. "Now, let's move on…"

* * *

She lay panting on the floor, completely exhausted. Everything hurt. Her arms, her legs, her back… every muscle was simply _sore_.

"You did well," murmured Inoichi. "Now, let's head inside. It's getting late. I don't want your parents to worry."

Somehow, Kimi managed to stand up. She followed him, legs trembling, and walked out of the training field.

* * *

For the next few weeks, they focused almost exclusively on taijutsu—the Konoha standard, for the most part, with a one or two clan moves thrown in. Although Inoichi was her main sensei, Isamu frequently trained her when the heir was busy or on missions. When neither was available, she practiced the techniques by herself in the training grounds. With help from her teachers, books, and frequent practice, Kimi soon improved.

Her training began to include other aspects, such as weapon-throwing. Eventually, she was able to throw kunai and shuriken with middling accuracy. Her preferred weapon, however, was the senbon. Unlike the other two, senbon rarely caused fatal wounds, and senbon injuries were much easier to heal. Of course, she didn't use real weapons when practicing. Kimi only used the blunt ones, much to her relief.

Once her skills in taijutsu and weapons were deemed acceptable, they finally moved on to the subject that Kimi was the most curious about: chakra. But like most things in her life, her training did not go as she expected.

* * *

"Hello," said an unfamiliar voice. "My name is Yamanaka Misaki. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kimi blinked at the lady standing in the doorway of the waiting room. "Er, hello," she replied. "I'm Mita Kimiko. But please, call me Kimi." She internally frowned. The woman looked familiar, but Kimi didn't know why.

Misaki walked closer, each step elegant and confident. "Please excuse my appearance," she said apologetically. "I came straight from the daycare, and I did not have time to change."

"That's perfectly fine." Kimi glanced at her, still unsure of why the lady was here.

Misaki caught her look and smiled. "My husband asked me to help train you, as he was too busy to personally attend."

Kimi knew that Isamu was unmarried, since he often complained about his lack of a girlfriend. So that meant… "You're Inoichi-sensei's wife?"

"Indeed. He hasn't mentioned me before?" Misaki raised a delicate eyebrow, expression stern.

"Uh… well, I—" Suddenly flustered, Kimi tried to think of a way to say 'no' politely without getting Inoichi in trouble.

"I'm just teasing," she said, laughing gently. "Inoichi's rather paranoid when it comes to revealing information. It comes from working at the Intelligence Department, I think. However, he did tell me that he was very disappointed about not making it today. He wanted to begin working with chakra, a subject I heard you were quite interested in. Why don't we head towards the dojo so we can get started?"

Chakra? Kimi's eyes widened. She had asked (pestered) Inoichi about chakra theory, but he had been rather tight-lipped on the subject. Chakra was the biggest mystery of this world, and the scientist in her was just dying to figure it out. "Of course!" said Kimi, unable to hide her excitement. "I'd love to!"

As she walked alongside the older lady, Kimi suddenly realized where she had seen Misaki before. _She was the woman who served tea during my first visit to the compound. I wonder why Inobu-sama didn't introduce her…_

Soon, they arrived to the dojo. The room was built in the traditional style: large, rectangular, and with wood paneling. On a scroll, written in beautiful calligraphy, was one of the Yamanaka clan's favorite expressions—_Silence is a flower_.*

Misaki walked to the center of the room and sat gracefully on one of the mats, knees tucked under. Kimi copied her, seating herself directly in front of the older woman.

"Now," began Misaki, "what do you know about chakra?"

_Not much_. "It's created from the combination of spiritual and physical energy in a person's body," Kimi dutifully parroted. Ninja guarded information about chakra jealously, barely letting any non-ninja learn about more than the basics. Truth be told, she'd learned more about chakra from the show than from the books available from civilians.

"Excellent." Misaki held out her hand, letting it glow with a purple light. "Chakra use is generally separated into two categories: shape transformation and nature transformation. Shape transformation refers to the direct release of Yin and Yang energies, or spiritual and physical energies, as you said. Medical jutsu and physical enhancement are the most common forms of shape transformation."

The light faded, giving way to a small flame. "Nature transformation, the second kind, is the refining of chakra to its base elemental nature. There are five main elements: fire, wind, lightening, earth, and water. Each person has a primary affinity that they can learn to harness. With practice, it is possible to use the other natures. In the Land of Fire, as the name suggests, fire is the most common affinity."

All this information was nothing new, but Kimi still listened attentively. "Incredible," she whispered, staring at the flame. "How does chakra work? I mean, how does chakra interact with the human body?" _How is that possible?_ _How can people create fire out of functionally nothing? _The small blaze died down, and the Yamanaka looked at her curiously. After a few seconds, the older woman began explaining.

"Well, physical energy is present in all the cells in your body, and it moves from the cells to the central chakra coils in the stomach. Spiritual energy is the opposite, moving from the central coils to the different chakra pathways in the body. Physical and spiritual chakra are combined in the stomach, and refined chakra is sent through the pathways and released through tenkutsu." Misaki pursed her lips. "But that's a bit technical and not at all important. We should begin working on harnessing chakra."

Kimi internally sighed. Those few sentences had expanded her knowledge of chakra immensely. Personally, she was extremely interested in learning about a substance that defied all known laws of physics. But learning how to _use_ said substance was just as interesting. Kimi had admittedly tried to use chakra, once or twice, but she had no idea how to. Her body felt… normal. There was no magic energy floating around in it, though Kimi had seen evidence proving otherwise.

"The first step to using chakra is to feel it. The hands have the largest tenkutsu, so it's easiest to start from there." Misaki held out her own hands. After a moment of hesitation, Kimi placed hers on the Yamanaka's.

"I want you to close your eyes and relax," murmured Misaki. "Try to clear your mind as you listen to my voice. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in…"

Kimi closed her eyes and focused on meditating. She obeyed the soothing voice and felt her muscles unwind. Slowly, the tension and excitement began to ebb away, and her thoughts faded.

"Good. Now, I will send a pulse of chakra into your hands. It should help you sense your own chakra."

Kimi felt a warm sensation begin at her palms. It started to spread, growing hotter. Then, it began to burn with the fierce intensity of a supernova, coursing through her veins like liquid flames, simultaneously scalding and freezing. Every cell in her body was on fire, her nerves alight with alien perceptions, growing in power—

She screamed.

Kimi curled into a ball as every muscle spasmed. Her brain spun, unable to keep pace with the new information coming from every part of her body. Slowly, the flood of pain ebbed, and rational thought returned.

"—mi! Kimi! Can you understand me?"

She stared at her hands, disregarding the voice that called her name.

This was an utterly new form of stimuli.

She had gained another _sense_.

Kimi couldn't properly describe it. It was like a deaf person hearing sound for the first time, a blind person finally seeing color. Every pinprick, every movement of chakra through her coils, _everything_…. she could feel it all.

It was terrifying.

Dimly, a corner of her mind pulled out an old study she had read years ago. It detailed the experience of people who had received cochlear implants later in their life, giving them the ability to hear. One particular person had admitted that sound—or listening to anything, in general—often scared him, and that he frequently turned off the implant when it overwhelmed him.

Chakra felt very much the same.

Finally, Kimi looked up.

"Yes?" she said, finally.

Misaki looked at her with concern. "Are you alright? You were unresponsive for several minutes!"

"I'm fine." An absolute lie. Kimi smiled. "Sorry, it just scared me a little." Not entirely a lie.

The other woman seemed unconvinced, but she didn't press the point. After a few seconds of observation, Misaki spoke. "Alright. I think that's enough for now. Let's work on something that doesn't require chakra, just to allow your coils to settle. They're a bit aggravated, but they're otherwise normal."

Kimi stared off into space, distracted by her own chakra. "Sounds good."

Misaki continued to talk to her, voice soothing and gentle. Kimi didn't understand anything but the last part. "Why don't we head to the greenhouse? I can teach you about some of the plants we grow there."

"Sure," said Kimi. In a daze, she followed Misaki. Normally, Kimi would be extremely interested in learning about the different organisms in this new world. She had read several books on the subject, as agriculture and horticulture were one of the few subjects with little restrictions.

But no matter how hard she tried, Kimi couldn't focus on anything.

The sensation of chakra was all-consuming.

* * *

A few hours later, Kimi sat alone in her room.

Her chakra was slightly less distracting. But not really.

With a sigh, she tried to think about it reasonably. Her conscious mind had never felt chakra before. And not knowing what to do with the sensation, it had probably blocked it out. A form of repression, so to speak—an unconscious reaction to keep memories from interfering.

Misaki had accidently awakened the part of Kimi's brain that dealt with chakra, bringing it to the forefront.

Or so Kimi suspected. This was all purely conjuncture.

Chakra. The more she thought about it, the more it confused her. And the more distracted she became.

Slowly, she pushed thoughts about chakra away and tried to shift her focus to a different topic.

For example, the issue with the Yamanaka.

Here again was the disturbing pattern. The clan was being much too nice to her. The clan heir, his wife, and his brother were all teaching her. She was allowed to enter into their compound and use their training equipment. Hell, Misaki had come straight from the daycare to—

Oh.

The gears in her mind started turning. Slowly, Kimi struggled to create a coherent explanation from the facts she knew.

Perhaps… perhaps she was a guinea pig, in a way. One that would help prepare Inoichi and Misaki for having kids. After all, the two were in their early twenties. Since Inoichi was the clan heir, he was expected to continue the line and raise the next clan head. Maybe Kimi was practice for that.

Actually, that would actually make a lot of sense. To keep their reputation clean, they had wanted to train a child with potential. She had revealed her intelligence to them, making her the perfect candidate. And unlike the Yamanaka clan children, Kimi could be thrown away with little consequence.

It would also explain why Inoichi was her main teacher. Kimi had barely talked to anyone else from the Yamanaka clan, bar Misaki and Isamu. _Crap._ Her eyes widened. She'd basically been isolated.

With a shudder, Kimi suddenly realized how disposable she was. They were being nice to her, sure, but that didn't mean _anything._ It was standard manipulation; if you made someone feel wanted, they were more likely do what _you_ wanted. In truth, Kimi bet she held very little value to them.

She closed her eyes—mind in still turmoil from the recent revelation and her new chakra sense.

Kimi probably wouldn't get any sleep tonight, either.

* * *

Misaki waited quietly outside the room. Her patience was soon rewarded; the door opened, and the previous visitor walked out, nodding respectfully to her as he left.

"Come in," said the authoritative voice.

Misaki entered the room, gracefully bowing to the clan head. "Inobu-sama," she greeted. The man put aside his paperwork and acknowledged her with a kind smile. He tilted his head slightly, giving Misaki tacit permission to speak.

"I worked with Mita Kimiko today." Misaki paused, gathering her thoughts before she proceeded.

"And?" promped Inobu. "What did you think?"

"She's very bright, just like Inoichi said. I think he made the right choice." She frowned slightly. "Since Inoichi is in the hospital right now, he asked me to begin working on chakra control. I started with a simple exercise to make her more aware of her chakra, and…" Misaki hesitated. "Saying she reacted badly would be an understatement."

"That is not an unusual occurrence with civilian-raised children. They are generally not acclimated with their chakra."

"Yes, but Kimi's reaction was especially severe. She seemed to be unresponsive and in pain for several minutes, though it soon faded."

Inobu raised an eyebrow. "Do you think it will interfere with her ability to be a ninja?"

"No. From what I could sense, her chakra coils are normal. Even during and after her episode, I could feel nothing wrong . Kimi has a slight imbalance when it comes to spiritual chakra, but it shouldn't affect her too severely."

"Good. Please keep me informed of any new developments."

Misaki bowed again and left the room.

* * *

The next day, Kimi arrived bright and early at the Yamanaka compound. She headed to the training grounds and began practicing the taijutsu moves she had been taught, intent on ignoring the drowsiness that threatened to engulf her. Six year old bodies did not operate well on three hours of sleep.

"Hello, Kimi-chan!"

She whirled around. Ninja were, as expected, incredibly quiet. Regardless of how many times it happened, Kimi was always spooked by their sudden appearances.

"Inoichi-sensei!" she exclaimed. "You look really… bad." She eyed the bandages around his arms and legs. "What happened?" _I don't think you were just 'too busy' the other day. Unless you count being injured as 'too busy.'_

Inoichi gave a tired chuckle. "Nothing important. I'm doing fine, don't worry."

"That's good to know."

He walked closer, limping slightly. "I heard you worked on chakra?"

"Yes." Kimi winced. "It didn't go so well." Even now, the sensation of chakra buzzed through her fingertips, always in the corner of her mind.

"That's fine. You just started to learn about it. No one expects you to be a master already." With a flourish of his wrist, Inoichi made several leaves appear in his hand. "Practice makes perfect, after all. So why don't we begin?" Inoichi smiled, causing Kimi to wince. That expression never led to anything good.

* * *

Kimi discovered that she had terrible chakra control.

Her fingers twitched as the leaf fell off for the hundredth time. Muttering under her breath, she picked it up and tried again.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid_ chakra. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get it to work! It was like suddenly finding an extra leg. Kimi couldn't use it—she simply had no idea _how_ to use it. She scowled, eyes narrowing.

_Scratch that. Controlling chakra is like trying to use a newly-discovered leg, arm, and nose while riding a flaming unicycle._

"Maybe we should take a break. You've been at this for at least an hour." His words only darkened her mood. She felt like tearing the leaf apart.

Inoichi looked almost bemused. He hadn't seen Kimi display so much _genuine _outward emotion before. Inoichi tried again. "You don't need to be so angry, Kimi-chan. You just started working with chakra. Besides, perfect chakra control isn't necessary to become a kunoichi."

"It's necessary to become a _medic_," she snarled. If she couldn't control her chakra properly, then her chances of living a non-murderous life were shot to hell.

Kimi glared at the leaf before sighing deeply. Getting angry wouldn't help her. She tried to clear her mind, like she was supposed to, and attempted again to control the odd substance circulating under her skin. Kimi wiped the sweat off her forehead and placed the leaf on it again.

_Think. It's like surface tension. Cohesive forces. You can do this._

She visualized a thin coating of chakra, willing the leaf to stick to her forehead. Kimi felt a small spark of chakra jump from her skin, but the leaf fell off before anything happen.

"Kimi-chan—"

She ignored her teacher and tried again. She placed the leaf on her forehead, trying to recreate the sparks she felt earlier.

_Come on, come on…_

It worked.

The leaf stayed on her forehead, defying gravity for a few precious moments beyond what was natural. Then, nature reasserted itself, but she didn't care.

"I did it," she whispered, joy bubbling up like the giggles that threatened to spill over. "I did it!"

Kimi gave in and began to laugh, feeling more relief than she thought was possible. "Sensei! It worked!" _I disobeyed the laws of physics! I can do magic!_

Inoichi grinned and ruffled her hair. She let it slide, too happy to complain.

"Yeah, I noticed. Good job, Kimi-chan."

Kimi looked at her teacher, still smiling. "Inoichi-sensei, using chakra is like training a muscle, right? The more you use it, the better you get?"

"For the most part, yes. That's why it's so important to develop skills at a young age. Even if you aren't particularly talented now, you can always improve in the future." He paused. "But like a muscle, it's also possible to overexert yourself. Feel free to practice, but don't go overboard. Ok?"

"Got it."

_Becoming a medic is still possible. I just need to work for it_. Unconsciously, she clenched her fists. _And I'm no stranger to hard work._

* * *

Kimi had never worked so hard in her life.

Well, perhaps med school was close, but never before did she have this burning motivation to succeed. Bringing up her chakra control became a priority. Everytime Kimi felt like giving up, she simply remembered that the alternative was murder. That was surprisingly good motivation. Kimi practiced the leaf exercise until she could do it in her sleep. Then, she moved on to multiple leaves, pebbles, and even sticks.

_I am Sticky Girl! Fear my wrath!_

Kimi smirked at the horrible pun and added yet another twig. So far, her limit was twelve. Her goal was fifteen, and she was close.

Idly, she marveled at the almost magnetic nature of chakra. It was absolutely incredible. _I wonder if there's any limit to what chakra can do. Speaking of limits, does this exercise only work for solid objects? I wonder if I can do it with water…_

She'd have to ask one of her teacher. But Inoichi had vanished again, Isamu was _busy_, and Misaki was simply unavailable. Perhaps she could experiment… but then again, playing around with explosive magic energy might not be the best of ideas.

_I'll try it. But only when one of my teachers is supervising._

* * *

Her mother blinked.

"Kimi, why is there a leaf on your forehead?"

Her father looked up from his newspaper.

"Leaves, actually," he corrected.

Kimi's mother rolled her eyes. "Fine. Kimi, why are there _leaves_ on your forehead?"

The mentioned girl grinned sheepishly, causing a leaf to fall off. She picked it up and pressed it onto her forehead.

"I'm just practicing," Kimi hedged. "Working on chakra control." She had been walking around with leaves on her forehead to work on her unconscious control—Kimi could do the exercise perfectly while concentrating, but she wanted to do it automatically as well.

Her mother glanced away briefly. "Oh," she said softly. Her mother rallied and smiled. "But is it necessary to look like a tree branch while doing it?"

Kimi tentatively smiled back. "Yeah. I want to be a medic, and medic's need good chakra control."

Her mother's expression softened. "That's my girl. It's always been in your nature to help others."

"Thanks, mom." And she meant it.

Kimi's father folded his newspaper and walked out of the room. Though she tried, Kimi was unable to completely hide the expression of hurt and guilt on her face.

Her mother noticed—and pulled her in for a hug. Awkwardly, she tried to comfort her daughter. "Don't worry about your father. He'll come around. He's just a bit upset, that's all. He's always been a bit wary of shinobi. But everything will turn out fine. I promise."

Kimi returned the hug, but she was unable to entirely quiet her cynical nature. For some strange reason, she doubted that everything would truly be alright.

* * *

After two weeks of "self-study," Kimi was finally able to talk to one of her teachers. Though she wasn't entirely sure, Kimi suspected that Konoha was about to win the war—and was thus preparing for the final stages.

"Misaki-sensei," said Kimi cheerfully. "How are you?"

The tired lady smiled at the younger girl. "I'm doing well. How are you, Kimi?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking!" Her hand strayed to her hair absentmindedly. "Though I've been a bit worried about my hair," admitted Kimi.

Unlike many others in Konoha, Kimi had no distinguishing features. Her eyes and hair were a dark brown, just like practically everyone in the Land of Fire. (Though she'd never admit it out loud, Kimi was just a little disappointed about that. It might not be practical, but brightly colored hair was simply _cool._) However, her hair had recently begun to change. Her formerly stick-straight had become slightly wavy. Normally, it would be nothing odd—changes in hair texture weren't unusual during childhood and adolescence—but the change had begun just after she started using chakra. Correlation doesn't equal causation, but…

Misaki laughed softly. "It's nothing to worry about. Chakra reacts strongly with keratin and melanin. It's one of the reasons ninja tend to have unusual coloring and hair."

"I'm guessing that chakra affects germ cells too," Kimi wondered out loud. "That would explain why the children of ninja also have those traits."

"Indeed," agreed Misaki. She quickly changed the subject back to training. "Now, I believe you wanted to work with chakra?"

"Yeah. Inoichi-sensei showed me the leaf exercise, and I've been working on it."

"I see. Could you demonstrate?"

"Sure." Kimi grabbed a few leaves from the ground. With ease, she attached them to her hands. She continued to do so until both hands were covered in leaves. "I can do it with sticks and rocks, too. My limit is fifteen, so far. I wanted to try it with water, but I didn't want to do it with no supervision."

"Smart choice," agreed Misaki. "I'm impressed, Kimi-chan. That's a lot of improvement for just two weeks."

Kimi flushed slightly. "It's mainly practice."

Misaki smiled. "I think it would be a good idea to try it with water. However, compared to solid objects, water reacts very differently to chakra." With that, Misaki directed Kimi to the pond by the fields. "Try dipping your hands in the water. See if you can keep the water on your hands."

Carefully, Kimi dipped her hands into the water. Misaki watched like a hawk as Kimi struggled to keep the water on her hands. She wasn't even close to being successful at the new exercise.

"Interesting," murmured Misaki. The pensive expression was quickly replaced with a smiling one. "Kimi-chan, I want to try something new today. How do you feel about working with genjutsu?"

Kimi blinked once. "Ok." Genjutsu… That was illusions, right?

Misaki start to explain. "Genjutsu works by affecting the chakra flow in the brain. Crudely put, it causes hallucinations. It requires precise chakra. If done improperly, it causes brain damage to both the user and the afflicted. Let's begin."

"Wait. Didn't you _just say_ it causes _brain damage?_" said Kimi incredulously. "I have horrible chakra control!"

"I'll be casting it on _you_, not the other way around." Misaki smiled. "Don't worry. I'm an infilitration specialist. Sensing, poisons, and genjutsu are my specialties. I have plenty of practice."

"Alright," she said finally. "What do you want me to do?"

"Now, you might not be able to feel it at first, but I'm going to cast a simple visual illusion." Misaki sped through some hand signs and muttered something under her breath.

Unlike what Misaki said, Kimi felt it immediately—the same burning sensation that had happened during the first time she used chakra, though this time it was in her head.

_Get it out get it out get it OUT._ In a panic, Kimi began releasing chakra through her hands, as if she was trying to make something stick to them. To her relief, it worked. The strange chakra feeling faded away, and she let out a sigh.

"I see." Misaki nodded to herself. "That explains it."

"What is it?"

"We'll have to go to a doctor to confirm, but I think you're chakra hypersensitive."

Kimi tilted her head. "What?"

"Chakra Hypersensitivity, as the name suggests, is a condition that causes the chakra coils to be oversensitive. It often causes leads to poor control and extreme reactions to foreign chakra. But it won't affect your career as a ninja," Misaki reassured.

_Damn it. I wish it did._

"We'll know for sure when you have your Academy check –up." Misaki smiled.

Weakly, Kimi smiled back.

With a start, she realized that the Fall session of the Academy started in one week. Soon, there would be no backing out of it.

Her life would change drastically—for better, or for worse.

* * *

**AN:** This chapter was slow but necessary. The next chapter will be about her experience(s) at the Academy.

This chapter's recommendation is **What Doesn't Kill You **by _Zbluez._ It's absolutely phenomenal, and it had a huge influence on this fanfic. I borrowed that fanfic's theory for chakra, as I haven't found a better explanation. If you haven't read it yet, you should. It's much better than this one.

Thank you all for reading. All comments and questions are welcome and encouraged.


	4. Discovering

**Chapter Four: Discovering**

* * *

The week passed in a flurry of tests.

First, the hospital had examined every nearly every aspect of her health. Kimi had noticed that their mental evaluation was extremely lacking, but at least their physical one was very thorough. She sat patiently in the hospital room, listening as Misaki informed her about the final test.

"Now that they've examined your physical and mental health, all that's left is to test your chakra."

"Neat." Kimi tapped her foot softly against the floor. A few minutes passed before the door opened and the doctor walked in.

"I am Dr. Hyuuga Haruki," said the lady briskly. "I believe you have come here for chakra evaluations. You are Mita Kimiko and Yamanaka Misaki, yes?"

"That is correct," replied Misaki.

Kimi observed the doctor. Her off-white, pupil-less eyes confirmed that she was indeed a Hyuuga, and the hitai-ate around her forehead marked her as a branch member. If Kimi remembered correctly, only the main family kept their forehead bare.

Unsurprisingly, Hyuuga Haruki was a woman. It seemed that almost every doctor in Konoha General was female. When she had asked Misaki about it, the older lady had given a sardonic smile before stating that a woman's nature was better suited to nurturing and the healing arts. That struck Kimi as a bit odd and more than little sexist, but she wasn't about to change her career choice because of that. For some strange reason, Kimi really didn't care about the issues surrounding equal-opportunity murder.

Dr. Hyuuga skimmed the files in her hand before stepping forward. The veins around her eyes bulged as she activated her dojutsu.

_Incredible. I wonder how the Byakugan works?_

"Channel chakra through this paper," Dr. Hyuuga said, handing a small paper to Kimi. "I assume you know how to."

Kimi nodded before sending a pulse of chakra through her hands. The tenkutsu on her hands were the easiest to use, and manipulating chakra through them had become almost effortless. To her slight disappointment, nothing happened to the paper; it didn't crinkle, burn, or do anything else.

_Maybe it's not for elemental affinities?_

The doctor pursed her lips. "Give me your hand."

Kimi held out her hand, and the doctor held it lightly. Then, the Hyuuga—with Byakugan still activated—sent a jolt of chakra through her hand. Kimi flinched and yanked her hand away. The doctor scribbled a few notes down.

"I see. Mita Kimiko does indeed suffer from chakra hypersensitivity. It is relatively mild, so it should have no effect on her career. Other than that, her chakra sense is normal. Her blood work should be finished in three days, and the information will be sent to the Yamanaka clan." Dr. Hyuuga had recited everything in a bland, emotionless monotone. She turned to leave, clearly finished with the examination.

"Um… doctor?" called out Kimi.

She paused by the door. "Yes?" she said, with a hint of annoyance.

"What do you mean by chakra sense? I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me." Kimi knew that the doctor was busy, but she simply couldn't pass the opportunity to ask questions to another doctor. Misaki smiled with a sort of fond exasperation; Kimi had interrogated almost every medical personnel that she had come in contact in.

Dr. Hyuuga's annoyance grew, but she answered regardless. "Chakra sense refers to how a person's chakra system reacts to foreign chakra. Generally, it is divided into two categories: internal and external. Most people have normal chakra sense, which means the ability to distinguish between signatures within the system and at close range. People with chakra _super_sensitivity are individuals with greater than average ability to distinguish between types of chakra. They are often referred to as sensors. _You_ suffer from internal chakra _hyper_sensitivity, which means that your internal system is sensitive to the point of debilitation. You appear to have no aptitude in external sensing." The doctor sighed sharply, wrapping up her hasty but coherent monologue. She left without another word, causing Misaki to chuckle quietly.

Mentally, Kimi filed the new information away. While the trip to the hospital had been tedious, it had also been very informative.

* * *

Now that her medical documents were all in order, Kimi could take the placement tests.

_Joy. More tests. _Just _what I need._

Both Inoichi and the Academy teacher had told her that the placement tests were incredibly important, so she decided to put _slightly_ more effort into it than normal. So, going by the old grading system, Kimi aimed for about seventy-five percent. She had no doubt that they were giving her a hard test by a kid's standards—for all she knew, it could be the final exam—so getting _too_ high of a score wouldn't help her.

The written assessment consisted of three sections: chakra studies, civic studies, and basic studies. The first was self-explanatory, as it covered the theory of chakra use. Civic studies covered the procedures, laws, and rules of Konoha, while basic studies included but was not limited to math, history, and language arts.

The practical assessment was also divided into three sections: taiutsu (martial arts), ninjutsu (chakra techniques), and bukijutsu (weapon use). Kimi understandably found this part harder than the written one, though it wasn't as hard as she expected.

By the time she finished with both sections of the test, Kimi's mind and body were exhausted. The second she reached home, she collapsed in her bed and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Kimi received her acceptance the two days later, officially announcing her enrollment into the Academy. With a sinking heart, she showed it to her parents before tucking it into her bookshelf. Kimi stared at her small hands.

Sometimes, she really hated this.

This strange body, this violent world… this constant dance on a tightrope—struggling to juggle secrets and memories.

But then, she would remember her new family, her second chance, and her joy at simply being _alive._

No… this wasn't her old world. But it was her world _now, _and she could do nothing but accept it. New resolve filled her. She would have to make the best of it.

* * *

"Good luck, Kimi. I'm sure you'll do great!" Her mother hugged her tightly.

"Thanks, mom."

Kimi's dad patted her lightly on her head. Kimi rolled her eyes and latched on to him with a hug. Sighing softly, her dad hugged her back wholeheartedly.

"Bye, dad."

"Have fun at at school," he said quietly.

"I'll try." She grinned wryly at her dad. She opened the door, prepared for her first day at the Academy.

"Wait!"

Kimi looked back at her parents.

"Mom?" she asked, confused.

Her mother bit her lip in anxiety—a habit that Kimi had also picked up. "Well," said her mother slowly, "I understand if you don't want to, but… is it ok if I walk you to school?"

Kimi's eyes softened. "Of course, mom."

Her father looked away. "I'd come too," he mumbled, "but I have work and—"

"I know. It's fine. Love you dad!" After one final goodbye to her father, Kimi grabbed her mom's hand and started walking down the street. Her mother was silent for several minutes, something that was unusual for the peppy and cheerful older woman.

"Is something wrong?"

Her mother smiled. "No… I was just thinking about how fast you've been growing. It seems like just yesterday you were a baby in my arms." She carefully touched Kimi's hair. "And you look so different, too!"

Self-consciously, Kimi tucked her hair behind her ear. She had gotten a haircut yesterday, shortening her hair to chin length. But Kimi had forgotten a key fact about wavy hair—the shorter it was, the wilder it became. Now, her hair was unbelievably frizzy, which was made worse by Konoha's natural humidity.

But her hair wasn't the only thing that had changed. Misaki had taken her to a store to buy ninja clothing. Of course, Kimi had picked the most civilian-looking outfit, which happened to be a skirt and half-sleeve shirt. Like it had promised, the clan paid for all her supplies, including clothing.

_They better_, she thought bitterly. _No need to waste hard-earned money._

Her family's strange turn in fortunes hadn't escaped her notice. Not long after she had accepted the scholarship, her father's suppliers suddenly started working with him again. She didn't know if the Yamanaka were behind it, but she wouldn't put it past them.

"Kimi? Hello? Are you there?"

Kimi blinked then grinned sheepishly. "Sorry!"

Her mother laughed. "You don't need to apologize, Kimi! Though we're already here, you know…"

With a start, Kimi realized that they had arrived at the Academy. "Oh." She reached up and hugged her mother again. "Bye, mom. Don't worry! I'll do great!"

Kimi didn't know who she was reassuring. It seemed like both of them needed it.

* * *

Acceptance letter in hand, Kimi stood in the large courtyard with the other students.

_Wow. The Academy is… really cliquey. _

The kids had congregated into little clumps based on clan affiliation. Children from the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans stood near the center, all laughing and chatting. The Inuzaka clan kids were wild and rambunctious, chasing each other across the courtyard, dogs in tow. The Aburame clan congregated in the far corner, silent and isolated. With amusement, Kimi realized that the aloof Hyuuga and Uchiha clan kids were on opposite sides of the courtyard—and that a glaring contest had started among a few of the younger members.

Sure, there were other, smaller groups of kids, but Kimi couldn't identify any of the clans, excluding the ones she'd seen in the show. She made a mental note to learn more.

Slowly, Kimi began to walk through the courtyard. Technically, she _could_ stand with the Yamanaka kids, but she didn't know any of them, despite being an "affiliate" of their clan. Instead, she made her way to a group of nervous-looking kids dressed in rather ordinary clothes. Civilians, from the look of it. But before she could do anything, the head instructor began to speak. His voice echoed loudly, drawing everyone's attention.

"Welcome, students." The man's expression was made more by his deep frown lines. He appeared to be in his late thirties, which was certainly old for a ninja. "Now, I understand that your _enthusiasm _for learning is simply unmatched." Kimi quirked a smile at the blatant sarcasm. "However, before we begin, our esteemed Hokage, the Third Lord Hiruzen-sama, wishes to say a few words."

The kids burst into whispers, quieting only when the Hokage stepped to the podium. Kimi examined the leader of Konoha carefully, noting his authoritative stance and kind yet tired eyes. If the instructor was old by ninja standards, then the Hokage was positively ancient. The older man waited until everyone became silent again.

"The Will of Fire is the philosophy that binds Konoha together." His voice was deep, gravely, and steadfast. "Although we may come from different families, we are _one. _Never forget that."

The speech continued for about a minute more, full of platitudes and patriotism. Of course, the Hokage encouraged them to become strong ninja and so on. He seemed sincere but also rather sad.

_As he should be. He's sending _children_ to war. _

* * *

Kimi sat in the back of the classroom, trying to remain as unnoticeable as possible. She examined the kids around her. Many looked physically older than her, which was expected, really. Although the standard Academy program was six years long, Kimi had been placed in the third year. Well, considering that the first two years were mainly to bring up civilian kids up to speed… it wasn't too much of an accomplishment. More of an acknowledgement, really.

She scanned the room for characters that she knew, but that was made harder because _nobody looked like cartoons. _Everyone looked… well, human.

Then, the teacher started calling out roll.

"Akita Io, Eto Tsubaki ..."

Attentaively, Kimi listened to each name. "… Ikeda Hakui, Jujiro Mizuki …."

She frowned. Mizuki? That sounded familiar, but she couldn't figure out why. Kimi mentally shrugged and kept listening. Soon, the teacher reached the end of the list.

" … Umino Iruka, and Uzuki Yugao."

She blinked. Iruka… wasn't that Naruto's teacher? And she'd heard the name _Yugao_ before, too. Kimi wrote the three familiar names down, just in case.

After a cursory introduction, the class went straight to work. First, the teacher reviewed the basic subjects, making sure that they hadn't forgotten everything over the break. After that was taijutsu practice, then civic studies, and finally, lunch.

Kimi noted that the classes were much harder than the civilian ones. Were they challenging for a twenty-something year old who had graduated from med school? Not at all. Well, excepting taijusu practice, that is. Her old memories had no effect on her _muscle_ memory. To her slight disappointment, the Yamanaka had already taught her much of what the Academy was currently reviewing. But it was only the first day of school. Hopefully, she'd learn _something _new.

With a small sigh, Kimi looked around the courtyard for a place to sit. Although she felt slightly guilty for thinking it, Kimi really didn't want to sit with any clan kids. She'd already had enough of clan politics, thank you very much.

In the end, she decided to sit with the purple-haired girl—Yugao, if she remembered correctly—in the corner. She might as well try to figure out why Yugao's name seemed so familiar. Besides, the girl appeared lonely, and Kimi's bleeding heart prevented her from leaving the kid alone.

"Hello!" she said, cheerfully introducing herself. "I'm Kimi. Can I eat lunch with you?"

Yugao looked up, startled. "Um… ok. You can join us. Tsubaki and Hakui aren't here yet, but I don't think they'll care."

Oh. Apparently, Yugao wasn't eating alone. Regardless, Kimi plopped down next to the other girl. Wasting no time, she unpacked her homemade lunch and began eating the onigiri with relish.

_Man, mom's such a good cook._

"So… Kimi-chan," began Yugao tentatively, "I haven't seen you before."

Kimi smiled. "Yeah, I'm new. This is my first year in the Academy."

Yugao seemed a bit impressed. "This is my second."

Kimi mentally did the math. So, that meant that Yugao had skipped a year.

Yugao suddenly stood up and waved. "Hakui-chan! Tsubaki-chan! Over here!"

The two aforementioned girls quickly made their way to the tree.

"Hi Yugao!" said the one with black hair and dark eyes. "And… who are you?"

"I'm Kimi. Can I eat lunch with you?"

"I guess." Tsubaki shrugged before sitting down. "I'm Tsubaki."

The shorter brunette ducked her head shyly before joining the rest. "My name's Hakui," she said softly. "Nice to meet you."

"Same here!"

In the easy way that only children could do, the trio of girls easily absorbed Kimi into their group. The girls were different ages—Tsubaki was nine, Yugao and Hakui were seven, and Kimi was six—but they all treated each other as friends. (Relatively, at least. The kids were much too young for Kimi to think of as equals.) Although Kimi was out of the loop on some issues, like childhood crushes, she was able to participate in the rest of the conversation. To her surprise, the girls were already thinking about their specialization and future as kunoichi.

"I'm gonna be a kenjutsu master!" announced Yugao proudly. "My dad's real good with swords, and I'm gonna be just like him!"

Hakui wrinkled her nose. "But that's so dirty! Don't you wanna be a med-nin or scout?"

"Well, I _am_ a sensor…" Yugao thought about it for a moment. "No, swords are still cooler."

"But _I'm_ gonna be a med-nin. Fixing people is what I gotta to do. At least, that's what my mom told me."

Tsubaki frowned. "I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm bad with chakra control, so I can't be a medic… I guess working as a scout would be cool."

"What about you, Kimi-chan?" asked Yugao.

"A doctor," replied Kimi. "Medicine is really interesting."

Disappointment appeared on Yugao's face. "Oh. That's neat, I think."

The conversation quickly turned away from ninja stuff and more to things that regular kids talked about, like summer break and school.

_Even if they were in ninja school, kids will be kids._

* * *

In some ways, the Academy wasn't that different from its civilian counterpart. It still had classes, recess, and lunch breaks. Kids wrote notes in class, turned in homework, and took tests on the material. The written studies operated in about the same way as the civilian school's subjects.

But in other ways, the Academy was completely different.

For one thing, the atmosphere was incredibly competitive. Everyone was pushed to become the best at almost any cost, leading all kinds of cutthroat behavior. Friendships became more like alliances as eight-year olds participated in an odd sort of politics. The clan kids especially succeeded in this environment. They had an extra edge from training at home, and they also possessed an already solid social network. Children from ninja families did alright, for about the same reasons as the clan kids. The civilian kids were basically thrown to the sharks. Most were weeded out in the first two years, though the war meant that the standards for advancement had dropped.

Underneath this already tense mood was an undercurrent of… urgency. The higher-ups were pushing for more soldiers, and more soldiers meant more early graduations. In just the first week of school, several kids were moved up a grade, and one was immediately promoted to genin.

Kimi supposed she was lucky, in a way. She had managed to integrate herself into a group of friends with a ninja background, despite being a civilian. Yugao and Hakui's parents had been genin teammates, and Hakui's mother currently worked with Tsubaki's mother. Kimi had noticed that the kids in the Academy generally didn't form friendships outside of their little groups. And at the same time, she managed to fly under the radar, keeping her ranking at exactly ten—the bare minimum required for her sponsorship, but not high enough to attract too much attention from the teacher. Kimi felt so incredibly bad for the civilian kids who had no idea what they were doing and the over-achievers who found themselves graduating much too soon. She did her best to be nice to them, but sometimes, that wasn't enough.

Kimi took solace in the fact that the war would end soon. At most, it would last for another year. Once it ended, then perhaps these children would be given a chance for a more normal life.

* * *

About a month in to the new school year, Kimi was well on her way to adjusting to the curriculum. The written subjects were a breeze, and the practical subjects weren't too different from the training the Yamanaka's had given her, even if it was much harder. Kimi compensated for her average practical scores by getting perfect scores on all the written tests. She soon fell into a routine and began to appreciate the (incredibly slight) challenge that the harder work posed.

Unfortunately, at around the same time, Kimi ran face first into a problem caused by the ultra-competitive atmosphere.

* * *

"So all you have to do is—" She paused, distracted by the shouting coming from the other side of the courtyard. "Um, multiply by ten to find the percentage. Does that make sense?"

"Wow, Kimi, you're so smart!" said Tsubaki admiringly. "I got it, now."

"Thanks." Concerned, Kimi bit her lip when she heard the shouts grow louder. "What's going on?"

Tsubaki shrugged. "I dunno. Probably the boys doing something stupid." She wrinkled her nose.

"Huh." Kimi stood up, grabbing her bag.

"Hey, where're you going?"

"I just want to see what's going on. I'll see you after lunch, ok? You should finish the rest of your homework."

"Uh, ok."

Kimi began jogging to the other side of the yard. She frowned as the voices became clearer, allowing her to understand what was being said.

It didn't sound nice at all.

"Aw, is the civie crying? Are you sad that you're stupid?"

"Shut up!"

"You're a big fat idiot, you know?"

She turned the corner and saw a group three boys taunting two others.

"Yeah, they're retards!"

She narrowed her eyes. The brunet was standing stock still, frustrated and clearly angry. He hadn't responded to their insults, but Kimi could see the beginning of tears form in his eyes. The white-haired one was glaring at them, face red with rage. She suppressed a sigh. Though the Academy teachers ran a tight ship in the classroom, they really didn't care about what happened outside of it.

_Dammit. My bleeding heart is going to get me in serious trouble one day._

"What's going on?" she asked, stepping forward and smiling.

The kids all looked at her. "What the hell do you want?" replied the tallest one, a gangly boy of about nine. The red markings on his cheek marked him as an Inuzuka.

"I was just wondering what you were doing." Kimi deliberately positioned herself between the bullies and the victims.

"None of your business."

"Really? I think you're being a bit mean," she said mildly. "Why are you picking on them?"

"We're not pickin' on them." A red-eyed kid smirked. "We're just givin' them a little help, ya know."

"Motivation!" added a bespectacled boy. "We need to put the losers in their place!"

She looked at them in silence.

_They're just children, _she thought, suddenly feeling rather old. _They're practically babies._

"Why do you say that?"

"Why do _you_ care? Stop asking dumb questions!"

Kimi ignored him. "So you think civilians are stupid?"

"Well, duh!" The Inuzuka barred his teeth, displaying his fangs. His canine companion did the same.

"So you think the Yellow Flash is stupid? His parents were civilians, you know."

He turned red. "Nuh-uh!"

"It's true."

The red-eyed one scowled. "You're just a dumb girl. What d'_you_ know?"

"Tsunade-hime's a girl. Are you calling her dumb? The head of the Inuzuka clan is a girl. Are you calling her dumb?"

"N-no, but—"

The Inuzuka boy growled. "Watch your mouth or I'll rip your throat out."

Kimi sighed out loud. _Again. Children. _"You know, lunchtime's almost over. Here." Kimi opened her bag and pulled out a couple of onigiri. "You want some?" she offered to the bullies.

All the boys stared at her, confusion clearly etched on their faces.

"No, seriously. I have extras. You want some?"

The Inuzuka boy grinned. "Sure!" He grabbed one from her hand, sniffed it carefully, and messily ripped it in two. He shoved one half into his own mouth and tossed the other to his partner.

After inspecting her and the onigiri with suspicion, the other two took the offered food.

"Why don't you three go play ninja or something? You have better things to do."

Kimi glanced at the bullied boys. Both were looking at her with a combination of hurt and confusion.

"You know," she said, "I have more food. Do you want to come eat lunch with my friends and me?"

The two boys exchanged looks.

"Please?"

"Ok," said brown-haired boy, speaking for the first time.

"Great!" She herded the two boys to her corner of the yard. "I'm Kimi. What're your names?"

"Umino Iruka," mumbled the kid with the ponytail.

"Jujiro Mizuki."

Kimi blinked once. _I'm sure that __Iruka was Naruto's teacher. But Mizuki... I know that name. But from where?_ "Cool." She carefully eyed the two boys next to her. "If you don't mind me asking, why were the other kids picking on you?"

Iruka looked down, and Mizuki glowered.

"Cause they're jerks," muttered Iruka.

After a few seconds, the white-haired boy answered. "They're jealous that I'm a civilian that does better than them. And Iruka doesn't get good grades, so they're mean to him too." His expression grew darker.

"Oh." Kimi hesitated. _I think he's pretty accurate, to be honest. Mizuki must have been rather isolated because of his background… and Iruka's been ostracized because he hasn't succeeded in school. _"I'm a civilian too, you know."

"Really?" asked Mizuki, trying to hide his shock.

"Yeah. Hey, I'll introduce you to my friends! They're all really nice…"

* * *

It took longer for the other girls accept the boys, but in time, they too were assimilated into the group. Although the Iruka and Mizuki didn't always eat lunch with them, they did become fairly good friends with the girls. To Kimi's amusement, Tsubaki even developed a bit of a crush on Mizuki. All in all, Kimi felt fairly happy with her actions.

Then, Kimi went and reread her journal—the one that had every detail she could remember about the show. The truth hit her like a lightning bolt.

_He's the traitor,_ she thought numbly. _He tries to kill Naruto._

Kimi frowned. _No. He _could _become a traitor. Right now, he's just a prickly nine-year old boy who's friends with Iruka._ She immediately felt a headache begin to develop, and with a sigh, she rubbed her temples. _I guess I could keep an eye on him… but the future isn't set in stone. I'll try not to judge people based on what could happen in a possible future._

* * *

Kimi's training with the Yamanaka continued, but she quickly noticed that the focus had shifted.

Instead of taijutsu and regular training, the instruction was instead concentrated on more specialized subjects. How to read body language, how to identify plants, and how to deceive…

The subtle arts were the Yamanaka's specialty, and they seemed willing to share their knowledge with her.

Kimi found it all incredibly fascinating. She took it in stride—at least, until they started working with poisons.

* * *

Misaki calmly pointed out different plant, quizzing Kimi on the medicinal uses of each one. Kimi was entirely engrossed by the fact that even plants utilized chakra. In fact, some herbs even affected the human body's chakra system.

"Good." Misaki smiled. "Which parts of the Guzen shrub are deadly, and which parts are not?"

"The leaves and berries are extremely poisonous, but the roots can be ground up to create an all-purpose panacea."

"I'm impressed, Kimi-chan. You remembered all of them perfectly."

"Thanks, Saki-sensei." The Academy took up a good amount of her day, but it still left enough time for Kimi to focus on learning other things. (Somewhere along the line, Kimi had begun to call the older woman by that nickname. Several hours in a greenhouse, pointing out plants and mixing antidotes, could really speed up bonding.)

Misaki gently guided her to the back room of the Yamanaka greenhouse. Here, the clan would prepare the plants. The room was large and clean, with various tools to create various tinctures.

"Now, I'm sure you know the difference between an antidote and a poison, correct?"

"Of course. Simply put, a poison is used to harm someone. An antidote is used to cure a poisoning."

"Yes, but what's the _specific_ difference between the substances?"

Kimi paused. "Well, sometimes there isn't a difference. An antidote, by itself, can sometimes have the same effect as a poison."

"Correct. Kimi, I know that we've generally worked with antidotes. You better learn to cure poisons before you learn to use them, right?"

"I guess…"

"I think you're ready to move on to the more dangerous subject."

Kimi swallowed, suddenly feeling rather uneasy. _Learning how to identify poisons will help you cure them,_ she reminded herself. _You don't have to use this knowledge to harm others._

With the serene patience Kimi had come to associate with her, Misaki explained the safety procedures and the different types of poisons. Kimi listened attentively. When it came to the management of poisons, the Yamanaka were quite thorough.

"Today, I want you to mix a poison using the Guzen berry, Wolf's Bane, and the Toku leaf." At Kimi's panicked expression, Misaki laughed. "Don't worry. It's only a mild paralytic. It's not deadly at all."

"But the Guzen shrub and Wolf's Bane are—"

"Incredibly deadly, I know. But the chemicals in the Guzen berry counteract the toxicity of Wolf's Bane. And—" Misaki stopped for a brief second. "It's impossible to overdose on the resulting poison." She coughed once. "Let's start with the Guzen berry…"

Kimi spent the next thirty minutes priming the Guzen berry and the next fifteen shredding the Wolf's Bane. The work was more labor-intensive than difficult, and the safety equipment that Kimi wore mitigated practically all the danger.

"All that's left is to add," Misaki's hand hovered over a series of glass vials, "the Toku extract." She handed a vial of colorless liquid to Kimi. "Three drops should be enough."

Kimi unstopped the bottle, noting that Toku had a strong, almost familiar smell. For some strange reason, Kimi thought that Misaki was watching her extra-carefully while she added the final touches.

"Wonderful," said Misaki, pleased. "Congrats, Kimi. You created your first poison. It's known as the Devil's Kiss. It's a tradition in the Yamanaka clan to mix this poison first."

"Thank you." _Hooray. What a big milestone. I can officially mix poisonous substances!_ "What does it do?"

"Other than being a mild paralytic, it also slows down reaction time and numbs sensation. Devil's Kiss is an excellent all-purpose poison. The side effects are very mild, so it's normally used to incapacitate. It's common to use that poison in practice spars."

"That's interesting."

"I think so, too. Let's bottle up the poison so we can store it safety for later use, ok?"

* * *

Kimi went to the Shinobi Archives whenever she got the chance. Since she was now an Academy student, Kimi had slightly higher clearance. Though she generally hovered around the medical section, Kimi decided to head the area with books on poisons.

All the books she could access were small and very uninformative. Kimi couldn't help but smirk at some of the titles. _Help! I'm Poisoned! _was a picture book about antidotes_. A Service to the Very Stupid Idiots Who Poisoned Themselves_ was an extremely censored public service announcement by Tsunade. _A Beginner's Guide to Poisons…_ that looked interesting.

Kimi opened the book and began skimming, searching for the section on the Devil's Kiss. To her delight, the book had a small blurb about it.

_The Devil's Kiss is a common poison used by many ninja in Konoha. It is unusual because it works as a hallucinogen, a paralytic, and an intoxicant. The addition of the Toku plant (page 31) causes…_

Kimi turned to page 31. Kimi had seen the small herb in the greenhouse, but she didn't know about its uses. There were quite a few plants in the greenhouse that she hadn't learned about, and the Toku plant was one of them.

_The Toku plant, also known as the Lover's Tongue, is a rare herb found only in certain locations in the Land of Fire. It is prized highly for its unique flavor and properties. Formerly, members of the nobility would drink alcoholic beverages with Toku extract, as the plant is famously known for loosening inhibitions and causing mild amnesia, allowing the upper class of society to engage in…_

Her eyes widened.

Suddenly, it all came together.

The interesting flavor of the tea.

The symptoms she had experienced after her meeting with the Yamanaka.

The familiar scent of the extract.

They had _fucking drugged her._

Her heart pounded in her ears.

How _dare_ they.

How _fucking dare_ they.

Dimly, Kimi realized that her hands were shaking. Slowly, she put the book down and took several deep breaths, trying to calm her rage. Quicky, her anger was replaced by a different emotion.

How could she have been so _stupid?_

The Yamanaka were _ninja._ Drugging a child was probably so inconsequential to them. Hell, they probably thought they were doing the _right _thing. She had been far, far too trusting.

Apparently, a child's body _did_ mean a child's naivety.

Her expression twisted into a sneer.

She would never make this mistake again.

* * *

About six months after her entrance into the Academy, the Kannabi Bridge was destroyed, leading to the withdrawal of Iwa from the war.

* * *

Kimi stood next to her parents, holding their hands tightly.

Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash and the new Yondaime, looked over the massive crowd. Practically everyone in Konoha was there, civilian or ninja. The esteemed Elder Council of Konoha, the leaders of the major clans, all the heroes of the war… and the shopkeepers, the farmers, and the merchants of the village.

Even from her place in the middle of the crowd, Kimi could feel the Hokage's blinding presence.

"Citizens of Konoha! I declare the Third Shinobi War to be finally over!"

* * *

**AN: **Every named character (except the Hyuuga doctor) is canon. This chapter had the first major canon event, and the next chapter should have another one.

There's nothing I love more than reviews, and all of you have made me extremely happy. I really appreciate it!

On a different note, I am looking for a **beta**! Please let me know if you're interested.

This chapter's recommendations are **Heaven and Hell** by _Abundant E _and **Aberration **by _Rin O' Gen._ The first is an engrossing story about the Uchiha clan in the Warring Clans era, while the second is an interesting take on the "person literally falls into the Naruto world" trope.

Please don't be afraid to comment or give me criticism. I have rhino-thick skin. Thank you for reading!


	5. Forgetting

**Chapter Five: Forgetting**

* * *

The end of the war changed everything.

The atmosphere of Konoha became more cheerful and more relaxed. People no longer gave guarded looks to each other in the streets—smiles and happy greetings became more commonplace. Business increased tenfold as trade flowed in. Kimi's family had never been more prosperous. And her family had never been so content.

Kimi thought back to the course she had taken on post-WWII society. The end of rationing, the return of soldiers, and the improved environment caused an economic boom… and a baby boom.

* * *

Kimi flipped through the pages of her theory book while in the Yamanaka's main sitting room. Inoichi had said that they would work on some special skills today, so she was simply biding her time until he arrived. _So genjutsu can directly affect specific parts of the brain… interesting._

The door slammed open, and she flinched. Kimi's eyes widened when she saw Inoichi standing there with a dopey grin on his face—instead of the pleasant smile he usually greeted her with.

_Inoichi-sensei's showing genuine emotion?_

"Kimi-chan!" he chirped, _chirped_. "It's good to see you!" Why was Inoichi so outwardly happy?

"Sensei?" she asked, a bit hesitant. "It's good… to see you too?"

"Good, good! Come on, let's go to the training fields. We have something special to work on!"

"Alright?"

She followed her teacher, who was _still_ smiling.

"So… did something happen?" Kimi ventured awkwardly.

"I'm going to be a father!"

She stopped in her tracks. "O-oh, wow." Kimi then remembered her manners as she hurried after him. "I mean, congratulations!" _That means… Ino, right? So Naruto's generation is going to be born in a year or so. Bizarre…_ She hid a shudder. _It's been eight years already…_

"Thanks!" In a few minutes, they had arrived at the main family's training field. Inoichi pivoted on the grass and faced her. "So, I was thinking we could work on—"

"You bastard!"

Kimi turned around to see a very angry and bandaged Isamu march towards them.

"Isamu, what are you doing here?" asked Inoichi, surprise coloring his voice.

"You. Utter. Bastard."

"What did I do?"

"You didn't tell me! Do you know how I found out? From Daiki! Not you, goddamn Daiki!"

"Ha ha…" Inoichi stepped back. "But you were injured and—"

"Not an excuse," growled Isamu. He stepped forward and pulled his brother in a hug. "Congrats, Inoichi-nii! You're going to be a dad and all that. Say goodbye to the last of your freedom!"

Inoichi laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks."

Kimi felt vaguely uncomfortable, as if she was intruding on a private moment.

Immediately, Isamu began interrogating his brother. "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"No, not for a few months. I don't mind either way, though."

"Really? No preference at all?"

"Well… a daughter would be nice," admitted Inoichi.

"Got any names picked out?"

"Just Ino if it's a girl. Inomu if it's a boy."

Isamu fell silent for a few moments, shocked and then happy. "Oh." He grinned.

_A shared syllable in his honor, _thought Kimi. _I thought that was common in Korean cultures, not Japanese…_

But Kimi had long since discovered that this world's culture was _similar_ to Japan's, but not exactly the same. There were many, many differences from the country in her home world. Perhaps this was another one.

Isamu glanced at her. "Oh, Kimi-chan! Long time no see."

"Yes, it's been a while." Kimi smiled.

"Oh, did I interrupt your training session? Sorry!" The younger Yamanaka scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Do you mind if I join you two? I can help!"

"If Kimi-chan's fine with that, then sure. We were going to start working on concealing chakra signatures."

"Ok," replied Kimi. She saw no problem with it.

"That's fun stuff. Fun for us, at least." Isamu's grin grew mischievous. "Are you using the traditional method of teaching?"

"Yes, I am!" Inoichi's grin mirrored his brother's.

Kimi suddenly felt very nervous.

* * *

Apparently, the traditional method was a rather demented version of hide-and-seek.

"Is this really necessary?!" she yelped, dodging a kunai. "This is ethically immoral!"

"Morals, schmorals," dismissed Isamu. "We're ninja! What use do we have for _morals?_"

"Besides, these are wooden weapons. At the most, they'll leave a tiny bruise." Inoichi tossed a few shuriken in her direction.

"And if you were better at concealing your signature, you wouldn't have to worry about this! It's excellent motivation, right?"

The barrage of weapons suddenly ceased. "You have five minutes to hide yourself again."

"Ready… go!"

Kimi sprinted to the elegantly pruned clump of trees. She calmed her breathing and began to focus. Hiding your chakra signature was a lot like meditating—at least, for beginners. It involved clearing your mind and reducing the flow of physical and mental chakra to your extremities. (Of course, the body would always be circulating the bare minimum of chakra needed to life, but that bare minimum was extremely hard to detect.)

Sensing worked on the opposite principle. Instead of condensing chakra, a sensor tried to expand it, spreading it thinly across a certain area. As one might expect, hiding chakra was much easier than expanding it.

Kimi tried to "withdraw" the excess energy to her center, but her chakra was sluggish. She really needed to work on this…

"Found you!"

Crap.

* * *

Without realizing it, Kimi had spent the entire day at the Yamanaka clan compound. She was exhausted, as usual, but she had become slightly better at hiding her signature.

"Wow, it's kind of late." Isamu tucked his hands in his pockets and landed lightly beside her. Kimi eyed the cheerful blond with disdain; he looked fresher than a daisy, but _she_ was dirty, tired, and irritated.

"You're right." Inoichi—looking equally as fresh—appeared next to his younger brother. "Kimi-chan, do you want to spend the night here?"

She hesitated for a brief second. She _had _spent the night at the compound before, usually after training sessions ran a little late. While the Yamanaka were nothing but kind and courteous, she didn't want to rely on them more than she had to. But on the other hand… she was incredibly tired.

"Alright," she said, tone a bit reluctant. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"It's no problem at all. I'll let your parents know." Inoichi smiled and then glanced at his brother. A silent conversation seemed to take place between them. Kimi raised an eyebrow, wondering if they _were_ communicating telepathically right now. At this point, she had solid proof that mind-based communication was one of their abilities.

"Well, I'll be going now," announced Isamu cheerfully. He vanished in a cloud of smoke, causing Kimi to cough and Inoichi to roll his eyes.

Barely a second passed before a tall woman with pale blonde hair materialized in front of clan heir. "Inoichi-sama," she said, bowing respectfully.

"Tsutsuji-san," he replied. "Could you show Kimi to a room?"

"Of course." She started walking, and Kimi followed.

* * *

"I'm afraid I can't help you with poisons anymore, Kimi-chan," said Saki-sensei regretfully. The two were walking through the greenhouse, watering plants and reviewing the names.

She looked at her teacher. "Why's that?" Kimi had predicted this, but she asked the question anyway.

A smile danced at the corners of her lips. "I'm expecting. Being around toxins isn't safe for the baby."

"Oh, congrats!" she grinned. Kimi hadn't said anything to her teacher, waiting for her to announce it instead.

"Thank you." Unconsciously, the older woman's hand drifted to her stomach. "However, I can help with the less labor-intensive studies you have. Theory, deception, and so on."

"That would be great. But don't stress yourself, sensei. I understand completely."

* * *

About a day later, she stood in front of the hospital, slightly nervous. Kimi clutched the papers in her hand, examining it one last time. She'd received permission from the school, but she was still a bit nervous.

Probably because she was going behind the Yamanaka clan's back.

She hadn't forgiven them yet. And she sure as hell didn't trust them.

Taking a deep breath, Kimi walked into the hospital. Her eyes flickered to the patients waiting in the chairs before returning to the haggard lady at the desk.

"Excuse me?" Kimi asked. "I'm from the Academy. I've come for the specialization course." She handed the papers over.

Combat-focused ninja weren't the only kinds in Konoha. Espionage, undercover, and medical personnel also existed in great numbers. To expose students to the different types of ninja, the Academy offered a specialization course to interested students. (It also allowed the Academy to hire out free labor.) To Kimi's knowledge, it was basically an internship. Students trained under graduated ninja for about a week—but if they managed to impress someone in the field, the duration could be extended to several months.

The lady skimmed the filled-out forms. "Aren't you a little young?" she asked, glancing at Kimi. Before Kimi could answer, the receptionist spoke again. "Never mind, don't answer that. Go to room 143. It's down the second corridor, to the left. Kyou's waiting for you there."

Kimi thanked the woman before heading to the room. She pushed open the door, startling a woman in a labcoat and causing her to spill coffee all over her clothes.

"Sorry!" Kimi winced. "Do you need any help?"

"No no, it's fine. Not your fault." The woman yawned briefly. "It's just my clothes. I didn't get any on the floor."

Kimi looked at the exhausted woman, feeling incredibly guilty. The older lady seemed absolutely worn-out, with dark circles under her eyes and sallow skin. Kimi absently noted the oddly-familiar purple tattoos on the lady's cheeks, wondering where she'd seen them before.

"I'm Mita Kimiko," she introduced herself, wondering if she was in the wrong room. "I was here for the specialization course?"

"Oh. Right. That." She scratched her head. "Yeah. I'm Doctor Nohara Kyou. You're working under me for this week."

_Nohara… Nohara…_ Kimi frowned, trying to remember why she knew the name. "Wait. Rin!" she blurted out loud. Her eyes grew wide in shock. _That's why the tattoos seemed so familiar! How could I have forgotten?_

"Yeah, Rin's my sister."

Kimi's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Oh," she murmured.

"You know her?" asked Dr. Nohara, perking up slightly.

"I know _of _her," mumbled Kimi. She looked at her feet, feeling more than a little embarrassed. She hadn't made a very good first impression, had she?

The doctor smiled proudly. "She's become quite famous, hm? Part of the Yondaime's team, the 'Angel of the Battlefield,' destroyer of Kannabi bridge…" Dr. Nohara began staring off into space.

Kimi waited for a few moments. "Um, Dr. Nohara?" she finally asked, snapping the woman out of her daze.

"Right, right. Sorry!" The doctor yawned again. "I've been on duty for the past three days, no sleep. Helping patients. War ended, but the patients are still there. Alright, I'm babbling now. I'll stop."

"It's fine. I completely understand."

"Good. I have a patient. Walk with me, ok?"

"Sure."

* * *

"So, the seals store medical chakra?"

"Correct." Dr. Nohara examined the seals of the unconscious man. "In essence, all seals do are store or release something. In this case, it's medical chakra. Can you get the syringe for me? The small one."

Kimi grabbed the syringe and handed it to the older woman. Smoothly, the doctor injected regional anesthesia into the groaning patient's arm. She made a noise of disapproval as she restitched the gaping gash in his arms. "What were you thinking? You tore out all the stitches. When we say 'no strenuous activity,' we mean _no strenuous activity._"

"What's the difference between medical chakra and normal chakra?" asked Kimi, quickly retrieving fresh bandages from the supply cabinet in the corner.

"Hmm… do you know what makes blood types different?" Dr. Nohara wrapped the man's leg tightly.

"Yes. Antigens on the surface of blood cells, to put it simply."

"Good!" Kyou looked rather impressed. "Chakra is a bit similar. The different nature affinities act like antigens, and each person has their own unique chakra signature. Most medical chakra and ninjutsu relies on purified Yin chakra; basically, spiritual chakra that's been stripped of 'antigens'. Exceptional chakra control is required to master—" she yawned abruptly, "medical… ninjutsu."

"How does that tie into seals?"

"Seals require the chakra to be extremely pure. Also, it's super hard to make. That's why it's reserved for the worst injuries."

"I see." Kimi was silent for about a minute before her insatiable curiosity struck again. "So, can you tell me about…"

* * *

She tried, but Kimi was unable to entirely keep the smile off her face. Volunteering at the hospital always brought her a strange sense of happiness. Dr. Kyou Nohara had apparently been impressed with Kimi, so her internship had been extended. For the past two weeks, Kimi had worked in the hospital.

Kimi sat in the floral-print sofa, waiting as usual for Inoichi. It was, of course, all part of the Yamanaka's plan. By making her wait, they had put themselves in a higher position of authority. It was slightly petty—but it was also basic psychology.

"Kimi-chan." Inoichi's voice was disturbingly neutral.

She whirled around and laughed awkwardly. "Oh! There you are, sensei. You scared me. As usual." She cracked a wry smile.

Inoichi's expression remained unflinchingly polite. "Please, would you mind walking with me?" Already, Kimi could feel tendrils of unease. Inoichi had become much more casual with her. Why had he reverted back to formalities?

"Of course." Kimi followed after him, struggling to keep pace with his brisk walk. As soon as they came to the quiet gardens on the other side, Inoichi abruptly slowed down. They walked in silence among the flowers for several minutes.

"How are your lessons with Dr. Nohara?" asked Inoichi, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Kimi froze, staring at him with wide eyes.

A small, somewhat-sincere smile appeared on Inoichi's face. He patted her head. "Now, now, Kimi-chan. Did you really think we wouldn't find out?" He paused by the honeysuckle flowers, fingers brushing the delicate blossoms. Inoichi waited for a moment before continuing. "I suggest that you talk to the clan, next time. We have a keen interest in your success."

His words clearly were a thinly-veiled warning. _Don't do this again._

"Although we would normally discourage your extra studying… we're willing to make an exception, this time. A background in medical ninjutsu will definitely be more helpful than harmful."

Kimi picked up on his phrasing. A _background _in medical ninjutsu… He didn't say that she would _become _a med-nin.

"I see," said Kimi, staring at the white camellias. "Thank you."

They continued walking. "You know, Dr. Nohara is an excellent doctor."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?" A hint of dryness.

"I think she was four years below me, in the Academy," he mused. "She's from the nearly-dead Nohara clan. They were known for their control and their unique chakra. Most medical jutsu is purely Yin, since spiritual chakra is compatible with everyone's chakra system. However, the Nohara clan also has Yang chakra that is compatible with others, basically doubling their effectiveness."

"Making them excellent medics, I'm sure," she prompted. _So, the Nohara basically have type-O chakra._ New knowledge about the Nohara family aside, Kimi quickly realized what Inoichi was doing. The Yamanaka clan dealt with information—the subtle arts, as they liked to call it. The clan's day-to-day culture was just as driven by the exchange of intelligence. By freely giving her information about the clan, Inoichi was basically apologizing. Though Kimi wasn't exactly sure _why _he was doing that.._._

"You're right." Inoichi looked slightly amused. "Their medical skill was second only to the Senju. The Nohara clan used to be bigger, but the war took a toll on its numbers. Kyou and her sister Rin are the last of their clan, I believe."

"How common is that? A clan being so small, I mean." Kimi was testing the waters, trying to see how much information he'd divulge.

"More common than you'd think or want." He grimaced. "The war was hard for everyone. The Senju, the Hatake, the Yuuhi, and many, many more…" he trailed off. "A great deal are down to one or two members."

Kimi paused. She'd wondered about it, back in her world. Finally, she decided to ask. "Sensei, what happened to the Senju? Weren't they one of the founding clans?"

Inoichi sighed, slowly. "Yes. They were. But their story isn't one for today." He plucked a wilted chrysanthemum flower and tossed it onto the soil. "Their position isn't unique, though. The war was hard for everyone," he said again.

"Yes," she agreed. Two world wars had decimated the European continent, back in her old world. Konoha had just finished its _third _world war. The low population didn't really surprise her.

"But now the war is over." Inoichi tried to sound cheerful, but his tone fell slightly flat. "There's no need to worry about it anymore."

Both Kimi and Inoichi knew he was lying.

* * *

The whole day, Kimi's parents had been acting strange. Every few minutes, they'd glance at her before whispering between themselves. They were trying so very hard to be secretive, but her parents had failed miserably. With a start, Kimi realized that the Yamanaka's training had worked extremely well. She was now adept at picking out unusual behavior.

Kimi looked back at her parents. She could use the opportunity to test out the skills the clan had taught her… or she could just ask.

"Alright," she said loudly, eyes narrowed. "What's going on?"

Kimi's mother and father looked at her, startled. "What do you mean?" Her mother was trying so very hard to keep a blank face, but she wasn't succeeding.

"You're both acting weird. Why?" Externally, Kimi looked like a mildly irritated child. On the inside, Kimi was freaking out. _What's wrong? Is it something with the business? Are we in debt again? Did the Yamanaka do something? Is someone sick? _

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost missed her mother's response.

"You see, Kimi…" Her mother exchanged looks with her father. "Well..." she started again. "In a few months, you'll be having a little brother or sister."

Kimi stared blankly at her parents. _What? Oh. Oh! That's all?_ Relieved, she laughed. "Mom, congrats! This is great news!" She gently hugged her mom. Apparently, her family wasn't immune to the baby boom. "I'm so excited!"

And Kimi actually _was_ excited. Her last family had been a big one, and she missed her little brothers desperately. Her new sibling couldn't replace them, but Kimi was glad to have another member in her family. (And heaven knew that her parents deserved a wonderful, _ordinary _child.)

Kimi's father laughed too, loud and carefree. "See Emi? I told you that Kimi would be happy. You were worried for nothing!" He swept his wife and daughter into another hug, and the family dissolved into laughter. In that moment, all of them felt truly happy.

In the darkest times of her life, when life tore down her foundations and stripped away her joy—when her mind and soul were wracked with guilt and doubt—Kimi would think back to that perfect memory and smile.

* * *

Kimi opened the door to the main compound, heading down the hallway to the sitting room. She paused by entrance. Something felt wrong. Slowly, she extended her senses, struggling to do the opposite of hiding her chakra signature. Instead of compressing her chakra, she spread it outwards from her, almost like a pulse. For the past few months, Inoichi and Isamu had drilled sensing and suppression into her head. Kimi would never be a master at it, but she was competent enough for someone her age.

Her rather weak sensing ability alerted her to the presence of three people in the room. She could recognize the subtle, mellow feeling of Inoichi's signature. The other two were unfamiliar. One was cold and sharp, like a blade, and the second was blazing and almost energetic. (Most people experienced chakra as another sense. Sight and touch were the most common, followed by sound, smell, then taste.) Hesitantly, Kimi entered the room.

"Sensei…?" she trailed off. Her teacher was playing cards with two strangers. One had dark spiky hair, pulled back into ponytail. Immediately, her eyes were drawn to the bandages on his cheek and forehead. Recent wounds, probably. The person to the right of Inoichi was a tall, heavyset man with a mane of auburn hair. From the look of things, they were the other two members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Kimi struggled to remember their names.

"Kimi-chan!" greeted Inoichi, smiling.

"Should I come back later?" Kimi stepped back, fully intent on leaving.

"No, no." Inoichi waved his hand dismissively. "We're just playing cards. Actually, why don't you join us? I'll introduce you to my teammates."

Slightly apprehensive, Kimi walked to into the room. She stood by Inoichi's chair and suppressed the urge to fidget as the other shinobi observed her.

"Shika, Chouza, this is Mita Kimiko. She's the student currently being sponsored by my clan. Kimi-chan, the lazy pineapple-head is Nara Shikaku, and the man that desperately needs a haircut is Akimichi Chouza."

Shikaku laughed, his voice gravelly and pleasant. "So you're the kid that Inoichi's been bragging about."

"Between you and his future child, Inoichi hasn't shut up at all," agreed Chouza. "His kid's gonna be so spoiled, I tell ya."

"I came here to escape my pregnant wife and all that baby stuff." Shikaku groaned. "Do we have to talk about this?"

Kimi's eyes widened, and she flushed slightly. _What? Inoichi's mentioned me to his teammates? _"U-um. Oh... I didn't know that Inoichi-sensei talked about me..." She blinked a few times, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. "It's a pleasure to meet you?" she added hastily, accidentally making it sound like a question.

Inoichi frowned in mock disappointment. "She's much too polite for her own good. It's a bad habit I've been trying to break."

She shot him a sardonic look and opened her mouth to retort. Then, Kimi glanced at the shinobi next to him and changed her mind. "Are you sure you want me to stay? I can come back another time."

Shikaku grinned and leaned back. "Why? Did we scare you off already?" He gave a theatrical sigh. "I really expected her to have more guts than that. What a shame."

Kimi looked at the Nara and smiled. _What, did you expect me to react?_

Shikaku crossed his arms and waited, smirk still present.

"Hey, what're you doing? Are you trying to start a staring contest?" interjected Chouza. He slapped Shikaku on the back, causing him to wince. "Don't pick on the poor girl!"

"Seriously, Shika." Blatantly fake sorrow colored Inoichi's words. "That's low, even for you. Fighting with my student, a seven year-old child?"

"I wasn't picking on her," Shikaku grumbled. "I was just—"

"Being an assho..." Chouza glanced at Kimi. "Uh, meanie. I meant meanie."

"Whatever. You're both too troublesome." Shikaku tossed his cards down. "I win, by the way. That makes it my fifth victory."

Inoichi scowled. "You cheated!"

"We're ninja," countered Shikaku.

"Oh, shut up Inoichi. You're such a sore loser." Chouza stared at his cards, a forlorn expression on his face. "At least you've won twice. I haven't even won once."

"Now that we're done with the card game…" Shikaku looked at the amused kid. "Kimiko-chan, feel like playing a game of shogi?"

"Call me Kimi," she responded automatically. Then, his question registered. She opened her mouth, closed it, and stared. "I don't know how," she replied, finally.

"What!?" Shikaku turned to glare at Inoichi. "What have you been _teaching_ this kid?"

"I didn't know she didn't know!" he said defensively, raising his hands.

"Damn..." Shikaku scratched his head. "Fine, I'll teach you. So troublesome… especially since _she's not my student!"_ His voice rose in volume at the end.

"I'll get the shogi board." Inoichi stood up and headed to the closet.

"And I'll get snacks!" Chouza left to the kitchen.

Kimi looked at the coffee table, not making eye contact with the lounging and relaxed Nara. _Is… is this a test?_ _It certainly feels like one. Inoichi probably introduced me to his teammates for a reason._

Inoichi returned with an elegant, wooden shogi board. The set was polished and finely engraved. Kimi examined the fine set, admiring the delicate artistry.

Efficiently, Shikaku set up the pieces. He calmly explained the rules, though Inoichi occasionally interrupted to clarify.

_It's really similar to chess. The two differences are the additional pieces and the drop rule. _She'd been alright at chess, back in the other world. Shogi shouldn't be _too_ hard.

"That's it," ended Shikaku, leaning back. "Think you got it all?"

"Yeah. Shall we play?"

Kimi went first. She made a few mistakes here and there, but she grew more confident as the game progressed. On the other hand, Shikaku hadn't lost the bored expression on his face. He countered her moves causally—never acting, only reacting. Shikaku clearly wasn't taking the game seriously, which Kimi was thankful for. She knew that he could easily destroy her. Inoichi was watching the match with a small smile, and Chouza simply snacked on his chips.

Her lips were dry, but she ignored them. Twenty minutes had passed. Kimi could now put her plan into action.

She moved her bishop. "Check," she stated, careful to keep her voice level.

The slightest spark of interest appeared in Shikaku's eyes. "I see…" he murmured. Offhandedly, he moved his rook. "Checkmate," he announced.

Kimi stared at the board, shocked. Realization slowly dawned on her. The rook had been in position for almost the entire game, as if he had planned for this very situation. Shikaku could have won at any time.

"Good job, Kimi-chan!" congratulated Inoichi.

"You did better than I normally do," Chouza added, grinning.

"Not bad, for a kid." Shikaku smirked. "Though," his smile became somewhat serious, "you're hasty. You sacrifice your pieces far too easily. They have more value than you know." With those words of advice, Shikaku stood up. "Well, I better get going. The wife's waiting for me." He patted Kimi on the head, much to her surprise. "I'll see you later, Kimi-chan."

"I better go, too." Chouza sounded a bit regretful.

Kimi barely managed to say goodbye before Inoichi left to walk them to the front. The door to the room shut behind them.

She stared at a pieces. For some odd reason, Kimi had a feeling she passed.

* * *

Inoichi had always been the best at genjutsu. Once they stepped into an empty hallway, the Yamanaka heir quickly flashed through hand seals, casting a blanket illusion over the trio. The genjutsu prevented any passerby from overhearing, sensing, or seeing them. Considering that they were still in the compound, it was a bit unnecessary… but a ninja could never be too careful.

"So," Inoichi looked at his two closest friends, "what did you think?"

Shikaku and Chouza exchanged glances. "She's a bit—" began Shikaku.

"Creepy?" Chouza finished.

The Nara looked a bit amused. "I was going to say _unnerving, _or perhaps _unusual_. But yes, _creepy_ would also work."

Inoichi's smiled dryly. "You noticed it too?"

"We're not blind. And we learned how to read people from the very best." Shikaku smirked at his blonde teammate. "Although your student looks like a child, she doesn't behave like one."

"She acts like a mini adult," mused Chouza.

"Exactly. It's not her intelligence—there are Nara children who have more raw intelligence than the girl does. But her maturity… now _that's _unusual. She's not imitating an adult; she behaves like she _is_ one. Besides, your student's behavior is rather paranoid for a simple child. You've assured me that she isn't a spy, but I can't help but be suspicious." Shikaku tucked his hands in his pocket. "Inoichi, have you heard of the game _chesu?_"

Inoichi frowned at the non-sequitur. "I don't think I have…"

"It's a strategy game from the far West. Similar to shogi, but not exactly the same. I've played the game before, a while back."

"Your point?"

"Her strategies were very similar to those used in that game. Which is very peculiar… and troublesome."

Chouza blinked. "So you're telling me that the girl used tactics from a random board game in the West?"

"Yeah." Shikaku shrugged. "But other than her frightening maturity, extreme paranoia, and unusual knowledge of an obscure strategy game…" His smile was almost predatory. "I like her."

* * *

Time passed by in a blur. Kimi's first year in the Academy soon came to an end. She'd learned a great deal about the internal structure of Konoha, as well as the standard ninja skills like traps, concealment, and strategy. Of course, the school had trained her in the ninja arts as well, though the Yamanaka clan had taught her much more than the school had.

Her two months of summer vacation went by just as quickly. For the most part, she read, trained, and relaxed during her vacation. Of course, Kimi had also worked in the hospital with Dr. Nohara. Her lessons with the doctor refreshed her memory of medicine, helping her recall the more esoteric information. More importantly, they had taught her a great deal about Yin chakra, the basis of medical jutsu. At the moment, Kimi couldn't do much more than separate her Yin chakra from her Yang. But she was working hard at purifying her chakra, and she'd managed to reach abut sixty percent purity. Kimi was determined to reach the ninety-nine percent needed to perform medical jutsu.

Currently, she was spending time with her little group from school. Hakui and Tsubaki were making daisy chains, while Yugao was sparring with Iruka and Mizuki. Kimi was also making daisy chains, though she was more focused on helping than creating.

"Now, just link the daisies…" Kimi handed the the unfinished chain to Hakui, who immediately began adding onto it.

"Hey, Kimi-chan!" called out Yugao. "Feel like evening out the numbers? Two-on-one's not fair!"

She hesitated, glancing at the two girls. Hakui seemed intent on creating more daisy chains, but Tsubaki was looking longingly at the spar. Kimi wasn't a big fan of spars, but she understood their necessity. Sparring was an integral part of Konoha culture. Not only did it allow ninja to keep their skills sharp, it also gave them an opportunity to test out techniques in a safe environment—and bond with their peers. All three were extremely important to young ninja-in-training.

"Do you want to join them?" Kimi asked Tsubaki, voice low.

Tsubaki immediately shook her head, blushing slightly. It seemed like her crush on Mizuki had only become stronger.

Smiling slightly in amusement, Kimi glanced at the sky. She was supposed to meet the Yamanaka at noon, and it was about time for her to go.

"Sorry, Yu-chan!" she called back. "I gotta go. But Tsu-chan said she wanted to spar!" Kimi gave the girl a gentle push. After glaring at Kimi, Tsubaki reluctantly joined the three.

"Ok, bye!" shouted Yugao. Mizuki and Iruka also waved goodbye, and Hakui handed Kimi a little circlet of daisies.

After waving back, Kimi headed to the Yamanaka compound. Thankfully, the park wasn't too far from the clan's location. As she walked, her thoughts drifted to her friends. _They're all good kids,_ she decided. At the very least, she could be proud of her influence on them. Hakui had become more confident, Tsubaki had studied more, and Yugao had calmed down somewhat. Her (continued) interference had caused most of the bullies to back down. As a result, Mizuki and Iruka had both become more mellow.

Cheerfully, Kimi pushed the gate open and entered the main building. She briskly walked down the hallway, heading towards the sitting room as usual.

"Kimi-chan!" called someone.

Kimi paused. _I know that voice._ "Saki-sensei?" she asked, turning around. Kimi smiled when she saw the elegant woman. "I haven't seen you in ages! I didn't know you were back from the hospital."

"I came back just yesterday," answered Misaki. "How have you been?"

"I've been doing well. How are you?"

"I've never been more tired." The older woman laughed. "Ino's been keeping me up all night. Speaking of Ino… you haven't met my daughter yet, right?"

Kimi shook her head.

"That simply won't do. Come with me, Kimi-chan." The two walked further down the hallway, catching up on the past month's events. The two walked further down the hallway, catching up on the past month's events. (Everything else aside, Kimi always appreciated how Misaki talked to her as an equal.) Misaki turned left, taking the younger girl to a part of the compound that Kimi had never been to before.

"Here's the nursery."

The walls were painted in a soft, pastel purple. A white, surprisingly sophisticated crib stood in the corner, and a tiny table with chairs occupied the other one.. A silver mobile hung above the crib; With wry amusement, Kimi noted that the spinning charms were all stylized shuriken.

"This is my daughter, Ino." Misaki held a sleeping infant in her arms. Kimi stepped closer, unable to help the grin. Ino yawned, her tiny pink face scrunching up.

"She's adorable," breathed Kimi.

"Thank you." Misaki beamed. "Would you like to hold her?"

Kimi hesitated for a moment. "Sure!"

Misaki carefully placed the infant in Kimi's arms. Automatically, Kimi adjusted her grip on Ino, making sure to support her head. Her brothers and cousins in her past life had given her ample experience with children.

Misaki looked curiously at Kimi. "Have you held babies before?" she asked, tone neutral.

Kimi froze up for a second. _Shit. _"I-I've been practicing… for my new sibling. Who's due in February. I'm really excited!" she stammered out, slightly nervous. She called upon all the training the Yamanaka had taught her to remain outwardly calm.

"Alright." Misaki smiled, her expression deceptively blank. "You're very good. I'm sure you'll make an excellent big sister."

* * *

The last time she saw Namikaze Minato was also the first time she talked to him.

Kimi had been discussing the effects of genjutsu on the mind with Inoichi. Although he mostly focused on technique, Inoichi generally worked on theory before starting a new subject.

"So… you cast a chakra net over the subject?" Kimi frowned. "What does that mean?"

Inoichi was about to answer, but a knock on the door cut him off. He quickly opened the door.

"Hokage-sama," greeted Inoichi politely.

Kimi's jaw dropped.

"Inoichi, you _know_ you don't have to call me that." Minato laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"I know," replied Inoichi, grinning. "But it's funny seeing you react."

Kimi stared, awestruck. The Hokage radiated presence; his chakra signature was bright and blazing, blotting out everyone else's.

"You love teasing me, don't you?" Minato sighed.

"Well, _someon_e has to." Inoichi gestured to a chair. "Take a seat, Minato."

"No, it's fine. I'm only here for a little bit." Minato glanced at Kimi, who was still seated and still very much in shock. "And is this your little student?"

"Yes, she's the sponsoree. This is Mita Kimiko. Kimi-chan, this is the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato." Inoichi raised an eyebrow at the dumbstruck Kimi, who abruptly regained her senses. She nearly fell off the couch in her rush to stand up.

"Nice to meet you," Kimi said, voice a little more high-pitched than normal.

"The pleasure is mine." His smile was friendly and warm.

"So, what brings you here, Minato?" asked Inoichi.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on Ino's birth. I'm sorry for being so late. I've been extraordinarily busy." At second glance, Kimi could the shadows under Minato's eyes and a hint of weariness in his expression.

"No, don't worry about it." Inoichi paused. "How are you holding up?" he asked, tone gentle. "And how is _your_ student?"

Minato's smile grew slightly bitter. "I'm coping." He exhaled slowly. "Kakashi is not. Rin's death hit him hard." He ran his fingers through his hair, causing it to become even more erratic. "I've assigned him to guard duty," he exchanged a meaningful glance with Inoichi, "but he's only becoming more withdrawn."

_Rin. Yes, I remember_. Dr. Kyou had taken a day off because of her sister's death. Briefly, Kimi tried to remember how Rin had died. She struggled to recall it but quickly gave up, deciding to focus on the adults' conversation. Was she even allowed to hear it? She wasn't supposed to overhear this personal conversation… was she? _Is Inoichi acting as Minato's therapist?_

"These things take time," said Inoichi with a tinge of sadness. "Just be there for him. There's nothing else you can do."

"I know." Minato put on a cheery smile. "Thanks, Inoichi."

"Anytime, Minato."

"I have to go." The Yondaime looked slightly sheepish. "You don't mind if I—"

Inoichi shrugged dismissively and grinned. "Go ahead."

"Alright, bye Inoichi! And goodbye, Kimiko-chan!" Suddenly, with no warning, Minato vanished.

For a moment, Inoichi stared at the spot his friend had occupied. Then, with a sigh, Inoichi sat back down. "Kimi-chan?"

"Yes, sensei?"

"Sometimes, the most important thing is to listen. Sometimes, that's all it takes."

"Ok." Kimi suspected that the words weren't to be taken at face-value.

Inoichi must have sensed her confusion, however mild it may have been. "Don't worry. You'll understand." Softer, almost too soft for her to hear, he added, "Because you'll have to."

* * *

In the fall of the Yondaime's second year, the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha.

* * *

**AN: **With this chapter, the foundation is complete. The next chapter should deal with the attack and the aftermath. From here on, there will be more visible changes to canon. (Of course, they will be gradual.)

I've had a few questions about how Kimi was a doctor at age twenty-six. Basically, she completed a seven-year combined undergraduate/MD program at a nice state college. So she's a newbie who just finished school. Kimi is far_, far _from an experienced doctor. She was in her residency, at the time of her death. I hope that cleared things up.

Special thanks to the incredible **MalevolentRace** for being an eternally helpful and patient beta.

As always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Comments and criticisms are always appreciated.

This chapter's highly recommended fanfic is **The Clan of Samsara **by _eremies_. It details the formation of Konoha... and the story of an entire clan of OC-Inserts. The world building is just phenomenal. Seriously.


	6. Shattering

**Chapter Six: Shattering**

* * *

Kimi narrowed her eyes. Concentrating, she pressed her hands to the shallow cut in the ninja's arm. Her palms glowed with a dull green light as she healed his wound. Once the gash scabbed over, she sighed with satisfaction. After hours of practice, Kimi had managed to reach the eighty-five percent chakra purity needed to perform the most basic healing jutsu.

"Thanks, little lady!" said the ninja, chuckling. "My arm has never felt better."

"You're welcome." Kimi grinned back. "It was my pleasure."

"Good job, Kimi-chan!" Dr. Kyou Nohara patted her head and turned to the soldier. Her cheerful smile turned into a fearsome glower. "Third time. This is the _third time_ you've torn out those stitches. Are you doing it on purpose?"

"Maybe I am." He smiled at the irritated med-nin. "I'd do anything to spend more time with such a beautiful woman."

"Oh, shut it," said Kyou, rolling her eyes. She looked back to her young student. "We're finished healing this joker. Come on, Kimi-chan."

After nodding at the patient, Kimi trailed after her teacher. A few seconds of comfortable silence passed as they walked through the hallways.

"Kimi-chan, it's almost midnight."

Kimi raised an eyebrow. "You're right," she replied, ignoring the creeping exhaustion. While staying up till twelve was incredibly easy for an adult, her child body wasn't so cooperative.

The doctor laughed softly. "I'm not-so-subtly hinting that you've done enough. Go home."

"I can stay for a little longer!" she protested. In truth, she probably couldn't. But Kimi was hesitant to leave when she could help one more person.

"You're about to collapse." Kyou shook her head. "Go home."

Kimi stopped and examined her teacher. Kyou looked worse off than she was. Pale, pasty skin and shadows under her eyes confirmed that Dr. Nohara had been working non-stop. Rin's death had hit the doctor hard, and she'd "coped" by throwing herself into her work. And since the number of wounded from the war had barely lessened, the Medical Corps wasn't about to refuse the help of a fully-trained medic.

"Fine," relented Kimi. "But only if you go too."

Kyou, unexpectedly, reached out and patted Kimi's shoulder. "You're a good kid, you know?" The older woman's eyes appeared pained for a brief second. Then, the moment passed, and Kyou smiled. "Alright. I'll go home in a few hours, I promise!"

Kimi knew that she wouldn't have any luck extracting a better deal. "I'll hold you to that promise. Goodnight, Nohara-sensei."

"Goodnight, Kimi-chan."

Hiding a yawn, Kimi bowed and left.

* * *

Kimi walked through the streets of Konoha. Her mother was quite supportive of her internship at the hospital; she didn't mind her daughter coming home late. And Kimi's father was out of town on business, so he couldn't complain either. Kimi usually wouldn't be too worried about arriving promptly. Tonight, however, she felt uneasy.

Even at such an ungodly hour, the streets weren't deserted. Normally, that alone wouldn't be cause to concern. Ninja had very unusual time tables, due to the irregularity of missions and the recent end of the war. (Granted, there were no civilians out. The effects of the wartime curfew still lingered. The majority of people outside were ninja—and high ranking ninja, from the look of it.)

Kimi frowned. Something simply seemed _off._ There were more ninja outside than she expected, and everyone she saw seemed rather tense.

Her house was ten minutes away from her current position. She sped up, intent on getting home sooner. Was she simply being paranoid? _Well, better safe then sorry._

Unfortunately, no amount of paranoia could prepare her for what happened next.

Kimi gasped as a wave of malevolent intent washed over her, causing the edges of her vision to darken. An earth-shattering roar split Kimi's eardrums, forcing her to her knees. Kimi struggled to breathe. Her head pounded, her vision was fading, and her ears were ringing. But worst of all was the chakra.

It choked her, forcing out what little air she had in her lungs. The foreign, toxic chakra assaulted every cell of her body, and the excruciating pain made her muscles and mind freeze. The top layer of her skin turned red from the heat.

Kimi dimly realized that she was hyperventilating—and she was possibly suffering from anaphylactic shock.

_I could die,_ she thought detachedly. _I could die again. _She giggled once, finding the thought funny for some absurd reason.

Slowly, the iota of self-preservation she had reasserted itself. Kimi covered her mouth and nose with her hands and started breathing in deeply.

_It's a reaction to the foreign chakra. I need to stop it._ She began to circulate chakra through her body in an attempt to drive out the corrosive energy attacking her. The pain lessened, allowing her to think more clearly. Kimi sent pulses of chakra outward and used the sensing exercises the Yamanaka had taught her. This method was more effective in dispersing the invading chakra, and gradually, the pain began to fade away.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kimi noticed a terrifying entity towering over Konoha. The bright crimson mockery of a fox roared again, chilling her very soul. Its features were twisted and warped, bent entirely out of proportion, unnatural and corrupted. Despite the beast's horrifying visage, Kimi could not look away.

_How could I have forgotten about the Ninetails?_

Kimi shivered uncontrollably. She had to be at least five-hundred yards from the beast, but the effect was still devastating. Her body felt as heavy as stone. Kimi knew that she wouldn't be able to move. Regardless, she continued to send pulses outwards to counteract the fog of malice pressing in on her. Kimi's mind drifted, operating solely on autopilot.

After what seemed like hours, a voice broke through the haze.

"Kimi-chan?"

With great effort, Kimi turned in the direction of the voice. Concerned blue eyes peered back.

"I-Isamu-sensei," she rasped.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Isamu appeared panicked and more than a little baffled. Distantly, Kimi realized that she'd gotten good enough to read expressions in the midst of a Tailed Beast attack.

The Nine Tails roared again. She winced as her eardrums twinged with pain. Isamu's only reaction was the slight clenching of his teeth.

Kimi licked her bleeding lips. "I… I was walking… a-and…"

"Never mind!" The Yamanaka grabbed her and began sprinting on the rooftops, heading north, in the direction of the Ninetails. "I'm taking you to the compound. You'll be safe there."

"Wait!" she managed to say. "My mother! I need my mother!" Panic returned in full force, giving her the power to speak. "She's in the eastern civilian district. I need to find her!"

Isamu landed next to the Yamanaka complex. He glanced at her, utterly confused with her line of thought. "Are you crazy? There's no time! Get the fuck inside!" he shouted, yanking the gates open and pushing her in. "And stay safe!"

With those parting words, Isamu continued running past the compound, heading in the direction of the Ninetails.

"My mom," whispered Kimi.

_Dammit, I can't fail my mother again. Am I incapable of helping my parents in both lives? If I just manage to warn her..._

Focusing entirely on moving her reluctant body, she took one step forward. And another. Somehow, she managed to make inside the main building. Then, her body failed her, and she collapsed.

* * *

Kimi woke up in a panic. She scanned the unfamiliar room, trying to place her location. Her memories were a jumbled, incoherent mess that only confused her further.

_This isn't my apartment._ _Wait_, _I died. I don't live there anymore. But this isn't my house, either. _

She threw off the covers and stumbled out of her bed, dazed and disoriented. Kimi inadvertently knocked over the flower vase by her bedside as she collapsed against the pastel wall. She hissed at the pain caused by the sunburn covering her arms, but the sudden crash and resulting pain grounded her.

She examined her surroundings. The floral theme and subdued colors reminded her of… the Yamanaka clan, of _course_. Kimi was in one of the guest rooms. She knelt by the shattered vase and picked up the largest piece—the one with the still-intact clan symbol painted delicately on it. Kimi glanced at it and placed the shard down.

She closed her eyes, remembering the events of last night.

_The Nine Tails attack._

She'd _known_ about it. But why hadn't she done anything about it?

Kimi gritted her teeth. She knew that answer to that, as well.

She had forgotten. Kimi could barely recall anything from the piece of fiction that her home seemed to be based on. The memories of her old life had become blurry, like a distant daydream. But that was no excuse. Kimi had written down everything for a reason.

Obviously, she had become complacent. Deep down, Kimi hadn't _wanted_ to remember. It was another coping mechanism, and not a particularly healthy one at that. She'd adjusted to this world and ignored the old one.

Every time she'd thought about changing the course of events, her _rational _mind had shoved the idea to the back of her head. Interfering with the plot would only bring suspicion onto her. Kimi and her family would have been executed. It wasn't her responsibility. Her role was to hide, conform, and pretend. It was _necessary_.

After all, when was the last time she had looked at her timeline journal? Four months ago? Five? Her selfishness had blinded her.

And as a result, hundreds, if not thousands, had died.

Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. It was all—

The door opened. Kimi blinked and wiped her eyes. The clan heir stood in the doorway, silent and observant.

"Hello, Inoichi-sensei," greeted Kimi, voice wavering. "Sorry about your vase. I accidentally knocked it over."

The exhausted blond gave a strangled cough that could have been a laugh. "That's alright. The vase is replaceable." Inoichi ran his slightly trembling fingers through his unkempt hair. His usually calm eyes were bloodshot and red. He paused, unsure of how to phrase his next words. "I… I didn't want to wake you, but I heard a loud noise from your room. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine." Kimi rubbed her eyes and stood up. "_You_ don't look fine."

Inoichi grimaced. "Walk with me?"

After looking back at the broken vase, Kimi followed her teacher. They walked in silence for a few seconds. "What happened while I was sleeping?" said Kimi finally.

Inoichi stopped by vaguely familiar door. He pressed his palm to it, and the door lit up with blue symbols. He then opened it and gestured for her to go inside.

Kimi hesitated for a moment before entering.

Her eyes were drawn to the crib in the center of the room. She glanced briefly behind her, where Inoichi was reactivating the seals on the wall.

"Security seals," the Yamanaka explained, noticing her curious look. He did not elaborate further, nor did Kimi expect him to. The obscure art of sealing was jealously guarded and highly secretive.

Kimi waited while he picked up his blonde daughter and cradled her. He motioned to the miniature table and chairs, and awkwardly, both Kimi and Inoichi took their seats.

"Kimi-chan," he began, "can you tell me what happened yesterday night? From your perspective, I mean."

She resisted the urge to fidget. Calmly, Kimi narrated her walk back from the hospital. When she described the malevolent chakra and her solution, Inoichi held up his hand.

"Wait. You cycled chakra through your coils and expelled it outwards in short bursts?" His expression was almost incredulous.

"Yes?" Kimi frowned. "Is that bad?"

He shook his head, slightly bemused. "No, I'm just surprised that you figured out how to do that. Your method cleared the foreign chakra from your system _and_ drew attention to you. And you did all this while being incapacitated. I'm impressed."

She blinked once. "Thank you." Well, the Yamanaka had been the ones to teach her. Kimi wondered why Inoichi was so surprised. _Perhaps because I'm still a child, physically..._

He cleared his throat. "Continue, please."

Kimi obliged, detailing how Isamu had found her. She kept an eye on her teacher while talking, and she noticed that he seemed incredibly tense. Finally, Kimi finished her tale.

"Could you repeat what Isamu said?" Inoichi asked softly.

She tilted her head and studied him, feeling dread pool in the pit of her stomach. "He told me to get inside and stay safe." Kimi bit her lip. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah…" He rubbed his eyes with one hand, taking care to support Ino with the other. "I wanted—" Inoichi paused, composed himself, and spoke. "Isamu passed away last night. You were one of the last people to speak to him. I wanted to…" He took a deep breath. "Thank you, Kimi-chan." His expression was neutral, blank, and utterly fake.

Kimi looked down. Shock and guilt swirled inside her, making her ill.. "I… I'm sorry," she murmured, choking on the sadness that threatened to overwhelm her.

Inoichi shook his head. "Don't be. It's not your fault."

_It is, though! I knew about it, but_—

Kimi clamped down on the sudden surge of self-loathing and cut off that thought. She glanced at her teacher, unsure of what to say.

This time, he was the one to avert his eyes. "The list of casualties from the attack is still incomplete. However, I was able to get my hands on the most current one."

The sinking feeling returned ten-fold. Kimi held her breath and said nothing.

Inoichi looked at her directly. "Isamu, the Yondaime, Misaki," his voice cracked when he said his wife's name, "and your mother were all among the casualties."

For a second, the rest of the world faded away. She stared into empty space, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. Then, Kimi pulled herself together momentarily, just enough to hear the rest of Inoichi's gentle words.

"... home was destroyed, so you are welcome to stay with us until your father returns from his trip."

For some strange reason, that was the last straw.

Kimi broke down into tears.

* * *

She cried for what felt like forever but was no more than a few minutes. Inoichi waited while she did, offering silent comfort. He spoke only to quiet Ino, who had woken up due to Kimi's sobs.

Her tears dried up, and Kimi felt nothing but numb.

_I could have stopped this._

_I could have stopped this._

Those five words ran through her head, over and over and over, spinning around so fast they made her almost dizzy. Deep, deep down, she knew it was a lie. What could she have done? Told the Hokage, on the basis of future knowledge from an alternate dimension? No one would have believed her—in the best case scenario, they would have locked her up in an asylum. And in the worst case scenario, she'd be thought of as a spy—and subsequently tortured and killed.

_But I could have done something_.

Out of her storm of self-loathing, realization dawned. Kimi wiped away her tears with a trembling hand. Three deep, shaky breaths.

_This will not happen again. I will make sure of it._

Kimi looked straight at Inoichi, who had just finished rocking Ino to sleep.

"Kimi-chan?" he asked. His voice was quiet and deliberate, the kind of voice one would use in a temple or at a funeral.

Kimi didn't care. Her words were abnormally loud by comparison. "Sensei, where is my mother's body?" The last two words caused Kimi to shudder, but her eyes remained dry.

Inoichi paused. He studied her intently, eyes flickering across her face as if he was reading a map. "The hospital morgue." Inoichi clutched Ino tighter, almost afraid to let her go. "They won't allow anyone to see the bodies yet. There is too much risk for… complications."

"I'm going to the hospital." Kimi stood as she made her announcement.

"What?" His eyes widened. Kimi wasn't sure if it was due to exhaustion or genuine shock, but she had never seen him look so surprised. "Why would you—"

"Don't try to stop me," she snapped, cutting him off. "I know basic med-ninjutsu. I can help, even if it's just a little."

Inoichi sighed in exasperation. "Kimi-chan," he frowned, mildly reproachful, "you are a child. You may not act like one, but you are. You're suffering from chakra exhaustion and first-degree burns. You are in no condition—"

"I don't _care_, sensei!" She almost shouted, but she remembered Ino's presence at the last minute. Kimi lowered her voice to a hiss, coating her words with as much venom as she could. "I couldn't save my mother. I might as well be of _some _use! In the hospital, I can make a difference, no matter how insignificant!"

She opened her mouth, prepared to rant further. "I won't—" Kimi cut herself off with a start. She'd almost reverted to English in her anger. "Anyway," she said in the correct language, teeth gritted, "I'm leaving. And there's nothing you can do about it!" Kimi knew that she sounded petulant, but at the moment she didn't care.

He blinked at her and sighed again. "I'm afraid you're mistaken," he said in a flat, calm voice. "In the absence of your father, the clan is your legal guardian." He let a few seconds pass. "However, I won't stop you." Something similar to understanding appeared in his pupil-less eyes. "That was never my intention."

Kimi blinked, and then she _really_ looked at her teacher. Here was a man who had lost his wife, his brother, and who knows how many friends in one day—_and_ Inoichi had taken the time to comfort her while he was taking care of his infant daughter. And that wasn't even taking into consideration his responsibilities as a ninja and clan heir.

She rubbed her stinging arms, guilty and embarrassed. After a brief wrestle with her pride, Kimi spoke. "I'm sorry, sensei. I just…" she trailed off, unable (or unwilling) to explain her behavior.

"I know." He massaged his temples lightly, exhaustion returning to his features. "Don't spend too much time at the hospital. Return to the compound as soon as you can, alright?"

"Ok." Kimi lingered by the door, even after he deactivated the seals. "Thanks," she muttered. Silently, she closed the door behind her.

* * *

The hospital was chaos personified.

The thick stench of blood and vomit permeated through the air, accompanied by a cacophony of groaning and screaming from the wounded. The lobby itself had been converted into a makeshift ward to accommodate the flood of injured patients, and some patients were even being treated outside.

Gingerly, Kimi made her way to the front of the room, where one of the nurses was searching for bandages.

"Excuse me?" she asked, raising her voice to be heard.

"What?" snapped the nurse, turning around. She wasn't one of the nurses that Kimi knew, unfortunately. "Kid, I'm a bit busy. I can't help you find your parents!"

Kimi ignored the sharp pang of emotion caused by the nurse's callous words. "I interned under Dr. Nohara. I know basic medical ninjutsu. I want to help." She said each sentence slowly and clearly. As proof, Kimi held up her hand. She sent a pulse of yin chakra to her palm and then pressed it to her arm, healing the surface burn.

The nurse's expression crumpled with relief. "You know med-ninjutsu? Thank the Sage!"

Kimi frowned. The majority of the workers were civilians, as med-nin were very rare. Perhaps ten-percent of all the medical personnel could use chakra to heal others. The chakra control required and the slight stigma against med-nin had made them a valued commodity. Medical ninjutsu treatment was generally reserved for ninja with serious injuries or exorbitantly wealthy civilians.

Unfortunately, the hospital's non-chakra treatment wasn't that advanced, either. Most civilian doctors weren't all that skilled. (Granted, fatal diseases were incredibly rare. Chakra bolstered the immune systems of civilians, and supercharged those belonging to ninjas.)

A crisis of this magnitude had made the shortage of skilled workers even more apparent. They were desperate enough to accept the help of a young child—that could supposedly use medical chakra—without question. Then again, this world had vastly different views on childhood...

"Dr. Nohara is in the ICU ward upstairs." The nurse patted Kimi on the head. "Sage bless you, dear."

Kimi thanked her awkwardly before hurrying up the stairs to the left. She was in such a rush to get to the ICU that Kimi didn't notice the woman in a wheelchair right in front of her.

"I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Kimi after she nearly ran into the other woman. "I didn't…" she trailed off. "Nohara-sensei?"

Nohara Kyou's eyes widened in shock. "Kimi-chan? What are you doing here? You aren't hurt, are you?"

Kimi shook her head. "No. I came to help." She tried to grin, but it came out as a grimace. Kimi looked down, and she couldn't help but gasp when she noticed Dr. Nohara's missing leg. "What happened?" Kimi exclaimed, momentarily forgetting about tact.

Kyou grasped the wheels and pushed forward, slowly moving down the hallway. Kimi kept pace with the incapacitated doctor.

"I was in the eastern section of the hospital," started the doctor. "Unfortunately for me, the eastern section was the part that collapsed. A structural beam fell on my right leg, crushing it. I knew that I'd bleed out if I didn't get help, so I cut the chakra flow to my right leg and amputated it using a chakra scalpel. I just had enough chakra to staunch the wound and crawl out." Each word was detached and clinical.

"I see…" Kimi hesitated. She didn't know what to say in response to that. "I'm sorry about your leg," she decided on, finally. Kimi paused again. "But I'm glad you're alive."

Dr. Nohara cracked a smile at that. "Me too." The wheels squeaked as they turned the corner. "And what about you, Kimi-chan?" The doctor looked straight ahead, not making eye contact. "What happened to you… last night?"

Kimi related the events. Her voice wavered at several parts, but she managed to make it through.

Kyou shook her head in disbelief. "You figured how to purge foreign chakra by yourself, under distress." She chuckled. "Quite the little genius, aren't you?"

Kimi felt pang of worry. _Am I attracting too much attention, again? Am I revealing too much? Is what I did really that special?_ She quickly consoled herself by remembering the dire state of Konoha. No one would think about _her_, after the Nine Tails attack.

Dr. Nohara stopped suddenly, nearly causing Kimi to run into the wheelchair. Abruptly, the doctor turned away from the other corridor, wheeling forward quickly. The older women's face was pale and pinched. It remained so for several moments.

"Sensei, what happened?" Kimi looked back. "Is there something in that hallway?" As far as she knew, that hallway led to the internal injuries ward.

"Ah… yes." Kyou chewed on her lip. She couldn't meet Kimi's eyes. "Due to overflow, they rearranged certain sections of the hospital. It's now... the neonatal ICU."

"Oh." Kimi winced. Even when Konoha _wasn't_ in a crisis, being in the intensive care unit for newborns and young children wasn't at all pleasant, to put it mildly.

The doctor sighed. "I might as well tell you," she said abruptly. "I know you can handle it."

"Tell me what?"

"The Nine Tail's chakra is extremely corrosive, as you know." She motioned to the burned skin covering Kimi's arms. "You experienced the effects first hand. It's painful and sometimes fatal, depending on the proximity to the source. However… the very young and the very old were worst affected, due to their developing and deteriorating chakra coils, respectively."

The realization hit Kimi like a train. "Fuck," she whispered. "That means…"

Dr. Nohara nodded solemnly. "Over eighty percent of children under the age of two were killed due to exposure."

Kimi closed her eyes briefly. Unfortunately, that made far too much sense. Children and the elderly had the worst survival rate when it came to toxins in general. Then, a dim memory from her past life resurfaced. Hadn't Naruto's class been abnormally small? There had been… what, twenty-seven people in his entire grade? In contrast, she had over a hundred students in her year. _Well_, she thought with grimness, _now I know why there's such a stark difference._

"But we're not going into that section," stated the doctor. "We'll be working on the upper level, with patients who are mostly stable—but still in need of constant monitoring." She gave a hesitant smile. "It shouldn't be too difficult."

Kimi could see the lie scrawled across the older woman's face, as clear as day. Holding back a sigh, Kimi returned the smile. "Understood."

* * *

For the past few hours, Kimi had been working in various areas of the hospital. She'd worked in the makeshift burn unit, the minor injury section, and even the civilian area. (But in all that time, Kimi had never been in the neonatal ICU or the adult ICU; it seemed like the adults were unwilling to have a child work on children or those close to death. Kimi almost laughed at the irony. She'd died herself, and they wanted to shield _her _from death?)

Now, Kimi was back in the minor injury section. Due to the woefully limited capacity of the hospital, these patients were kept outside, resting on threadbare blankets. Kimi was methodically healing the smaller wounds with medical chakra, a feat she was still capable of.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead and grimaced. It was unhygienic, but she didn't have time to wash her hands. Kimi examined the massive bruising on the woman's leg. Despite feeling the ache in her bones that preluded chakra exhaustion, Kimi summoned medical chakra to her hands. She rested her palms lightly on the injury.

Currently, Kimi knew the basic level of medical healing. To put it simply, she could heal damaged cells and send purified chakra to boost the patient's own systems. Cell regeneration was beyond her grasp.

After she lightened the bruise significantly, Kimi moved on to the next patient. She eyed the clotting gash with mild curiosity. Kimi dry-swallowed the chakra pill and pressed her thumbs on either side of the wound. Chakra pills were toxic in large quantities, and they could be detrimental to developing chakra systems if used too often. But this was her second pill, so Kimi wasn't concerned.

Only the most skilled medics could perform repeated cellular regeneration. Each cell was limited by its telomeres: protective caps on DNA that deteriorated after constant division. A cell could reproduce just a limited amount of times before the DNA was damaged beyond repair. As the telomeres broke down, the new cells became more and more defective, eventually becoming unable to divide at all. Not even med-nin could bypass the cellular limit. In fact, most medical ninjutsu didn't even work on the cellular level; instead, they accelerated the patient's own systems.

However, a few medical geniuses had the ability to control nearly every individual cell in a person's body. Tsunade of the Sannin, Head of Hospital Dr. Fumetsu, and a medic in Suna could regenerate entire limbs. And out of those three, only Tsunade could do it consistently.

Pursing her lips, Kimi began sending purified chakra into the cut. The theory of forced cellular division was simple; the chakra would stimulate the cells and cause them to divide. She'd tried this many, many times before, but she hadn't succeeded yet. Kimi narrowed her focus, concentrating solely on the wound.

Chakra usage was affected by willpower and visualization. And with medical jutsu, visualization was especially important. She had studied diagrams and pictures of cells taken with electron microscopes in her past life—despite it not being her area of expertise, Kimi could visualize a cell more accurately than most in this world.

Painstakingly, Kimi sent a constant stream of chakra to the sides of the gash. She brought up an image of a cell in her mind and visualized it dividing. She sent chakra deeper into the wound at the same time, saturating the damaged area with medical chakra.

Her breath became ragged, and darkness creeped into the edges of her vision. Kimi ignored it and continued sending chakra, willing the flesh to close.

Then, slowly, ever so slowly, the cells began to respond to her commands.

Triumphant, Kimi withdrew her hands from the smaller gash. It wasn't true cellular regeneration—far from it—but it was a start. Several cells had divided imperfectly on her command, which was several more than she command before.

Then, to her surprise, the world began to spin around her.

_What? _she thought, as darkness further ate at her vision. _But… I just took the chakra pill!_

Kimi lost her balance and passed out.

* * *

When she came to, Kimi was in a hospital room. Well, it was less of a room and more of a tiny, curtained-off area with a bed.

Just as her vision began to focus, Dr. Nohara wheeled into the room and drew the curtains closed. She looked physically exhausted, but Kimi could read the harsh lines of anger scrawled across her face. Oddly nervous, Kimi clutched the sheets.

"I sensed you awaken." Barely-contained rage lurked beneath each word. "You collapsed from chakra exhaustion."

Kimi's palms became clammy. "I did?" Embarrassingly, her voice squeaked.

The wheelchair creaked under the pressure exerted by the doctor's fingers. "You could have killed yourself. Your efforts completely drained your chakra system, which was already strained from the two adult-dosage chakra pills. Cellular regeneration should only be attempted by experienced medic-nin. You know this."

Kimi had known that. _I just… I didn't think that… _A thousand excuses flitted through her mind, but she made no attempt to defend herself.

"You could have killed your patient. Were you trying to cause his cells to divide uncontrollably? Were you trying to prevent his cells from dividing at all? You could have done that." The older woman's eyes burned into her. "I thought you were better."

Kimi flinched as though Kyou had slapped her.

Dr. Nohara did not stop there. "Reckless. Irresponsible." She stared at her until Kimi met her eyes. "How dare you?" she said softly.

Kimi's eyes were dry, but her throat was burning. It _was _her fault. Of course it was. And hearing the possible consequences of her actions chilled her very bones. Kimi was numb with guilt… but also with _anger._ Cold, frozen anger. She was no _child _to be reprimanded. Part of her wanted to say exactly that, but the reasonable side of her reasserted itself, as always.

Kimi forced herself look at Dr. Nohara again, and then Kimi saw it. Concern, and fear. Concern and fear… for _her_. Her anger died away so quickly it gave her whiplash. Kimi bowed her head as guilt and sorrow took over.

_This isn't healthy,_ she acknowledged. _I need to take a few hours for myself. Exhausting myself isn't going to help anyone. I need time to come to terms with everything. And to cope._

"Get some rest." For a moment, it seemed like Dr. Nohara was about to tear the curtains down. Then, at the last second, she silently drew them closed.

Kimi clenched her fists so hard that her nails began to dig into her palms. Carefully, rigidly, she straightened her hands, resting them on top of the blanket.

First, she needed to organize her thoughts. Kimi had been operating in a haze, working on an autopilot while suffering under a pile of mixed emotions. Identifying what she actually felt was a good start.

_Now. How do I feel?_

That answer was easy. Guilt.

Guilt for snapping at Inoichi, guilt for attempting cellular regeneration and risking a patient's life, guilt for her mother, for Misaki, Isamu, all the lives lost in the attack…

Guilt for not acting.

It really came down to one question: did she have a responsibility to change the timeline? She had the information. But should she _change _anything? Could she?

No matter how much Kimi wished otherwise, she didn't have the ability to change anything. She couldn't just walk to the Hokage and tell him. And if, by some miracle, she managed to get an audience with the Hokage, there was no guarantee he would believe her. And even if Kimi managed to convince the Hokage, that didn't mean he would act, either.

Assuming that everything went perfectly and the Hokage was convinced to act upon her information, that just involved Konoha. What about Suna? Kiri? All the other villages? A world war had just ended. All the villages were devastated, militarily and economically. And they wouldn't believe anything Konoha said. Convincing only one village wouldn't stop the fourth world war.

Also, Kimi had a rather selfish motive for not saying anything: her and her family's survival. Due to wartime, Konoha had developed extreme paranoia when it came to spies. Imprison (if not torture) first, ask questions later had been commonplace.

_I couldn't have done anything during the war. Who would believe that a civilian kid had information from the future because of a television show in an alternate dimension? I wouldn't be surprised if they thought I was crazy, a spy, or both._

And the paranoia had lingered after the war. A country didn't suddenly switch to peacetime behavior in a day.

That left Kimi with the simple truth.

She was powerless.

And she would continue to be powerless unless she started _acting_.

New, bitter resolve washed over her.

It was time to stop running away.

Until now, Kimi had been wandering through her new life, burying her head in the sand and hoping for the best. She wouldn't—couldn't—behave like that anymore. Knowing the future wasn't enough. She'd have to make a plan and actively try to change the course of events. The chance of success was low. She knew that.

But if she didn't try, the guilt would crush her.

Carefully, Kimi massaged her temples, trying to ward off the headache she felt creeping up on her. She let out a controlled, exhausted sigh and leaned back.

She could work out the specifics later. Kimi knew what to do—she'd work out _how_ to do it after she rested.

But before that… Kimi had to deal with the other emotion threatening to overwhelm her.

Grief.

Her mother was gone. Again. Her unborn sibling was gone as well. _I've dealt with the loss of one family, before. The second time isn't any easier._

But she _had _already developed a method for coping. As a young child, she'd cried a great deal, and as she grew older, she'd written about her family in her journal. There was no right way to grieve; each person had different techniques. The only types of grieving that were _wrong_ were the harmful ones, that hurt either the griever or the people around them.

Kimi, unfortunately, did not have access to her journals or any writing materials.

And she was tired of suppressing her emotions, tired of holding herself together with sheer force of will.

Gradually, Kimi relinquished the iron-clad control she had over her childish body and let her buried instincts take over.

Hot tears fell as sobs began to shake her small frame.

Kimi cried until exhaustion forced her into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Kimi rubbed at her eyes, much lighter after her nap. To her surprise, Kimi hadn't had any nightmares. She'd been too exhausted for that.

At the very least, it would take weeks for Kimi to come to terms with her mother's death, and even longer for her to grieve properly. Kimi would have to take time to mourn all the others she had lost, as well… but she felt better.

The brief rest had brought her chakra pools from 'dangerously depleted' to 'rather low.' It had also allowed her body to heal somewhat. Mentally, Kimi had recovered a little—physical and psychological health were linked, after all. But she was far from entirely healed. (Later, Kimi would look back and chide herself for being so stupid about her health.)

Yawning, Kimi gingerly stepped out of bed, wincing at her sore muscles. Chakra depletion was worse than a bad hangover. She ran through a set of basic stretches and grimaced at the twinges of pain. Once her body felt more human, Kimi walked out of her curtained area.

Stepping out of her room was like stepping into a different world. Gone was the illusion of calm. Nurses and doctors frantically rushed through the narrow corridor, calling out various codes and instructions.

For a second, Kimi just stared. An old memory from her last life, distant enough to be a dream, resurfaced.

She had volunteered at a hospital during high school. Unfortunately, that summer had been one of the hottest in recorded history—and people were suffering from heatstroke, left and right. To make matters worse, a giant car accident had happened in the street just in front of the hospital, restricting the doctors' and patients' ability to actually enter the medical center.

She had arrived in the morning, early enough to avoid traffic. While the first hour or so had been quiet, everything after that had been chaos. The lack of staff, the increased patients from the heat, and the victims of the accident had all contributed to the utter mayhem. (This experience had solidified her desire to become a doctor—and it also solidified her dislike of hospitals. Once she'd graduated from med school, she had taken a job as a researcher for that very reason.)

And she, being an ordinary teenager back then, had been clueless, with no idea what to do.

Kimi felt much the same now.

With a weary sigh, she extended her chakra, trying her best to find Dr. Nohara. Though it took her quite some time, Kimi managed to find Dr. Nohara, who had just finished treating one of her patients.

The medic turned and wheeled away from the man's bedside. "Kimi-chan?" Kimi could detect hints of surprise and regret in her expression. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got hit by a mountain." Kimi gave a wry grin. It quickly faltered when she saw the older woman's pinched expression. Kimi looked down.

_Might as well get this over with_…

"Sensei?" Kimi fidgeted once and then bowed. "I… I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for attempting a new technique on a person without supervision. That was stupid and reckless of me." She held her bowed position and waited for her teacher's response.

Kimi flinched when she felt a hand on her head. Gently, Dr. Nohara drew her in for a hug.

"It's alright, Kimi-chan," the doctor said kindly. "We all make mistakes. And I should apologize also. I overreacted, and I said some things I shouldn't have. Will you forgive me?" She released her student and looked earnestly at her.

Blinking, Kimi stood silent and shocked for a brief moment. "Of course, sensei! You have nothing to apologize for."

Kyou's expression grew downcast. "Thank you."

Kimi bowed again. "I think it might be best for me to return home, for now." She had put her body under immense strain. As much as she disliked it, Kimi did have to take a break.

"I agree." The doctor smiled. "Get some rest, recover, and—"

"Then I'll return to the hospital," Kimi finished.

She laughed softly. "If you like. We certainly won't refuse your help."

"Of course. I'll see you soon, sensei." Kimi adjusted her dirty shirt and turned, but the doctor's words drew her to a standstill and surprised her again.

"Oh, and Kimi-chan?" called out Dr. Nohara. "Congratulations. It takes skill to successfully regenerate cells with medical chakra. You have a long way to go, but," her smile became more subdued, "you're on your way to becoming an excellent medic-nin."

Kimi returned the smile. "Thanks, Nohara-sensei. Thank you for everything."

* * *

For the next few days, Kimi followed a simple but tiring routine. Wake up in the Yamanaka's guest room, spend the day healing others at the hospital, return to the compound, and sleep. It wasn't until she collapsed (again) from chakra exhaustion that Kimi admitted that she needed another break. Her child body simply wasn't capable of sustaining that level of exertion yet.

She decided to take one day off. Kimi felt unreasonably guilty about it—an emotion that was becoming far too familiar—but burnout was a very real risk. She had seen fellow students and her colleagues suffer with it throughout college, and they had discussed burnout in class, as well.

So now Kimi had to figure out how to spend her free time.

She stared at her hands, examining the mostly-healed skin. The burns had been superficial, and she would suffer from very little scarring, if any. Right now, she felt no pain, only some itchiness and slight irritation.

Kimi shifted her gaze, eyeing the sturdy yet carefully carved bookshelf in the corner of the room.

_It's been awhile since I've read just for fun… _

Reluctantly, Kimi got off the bed and walked to the shelf. Her muscles were still sore, but the pain had faded to a subtle ache. Kimi was quite lucky, in that regard. Her injuries were extremely minor. _Mostly thanks to Isamu, and by extension, the Yamanaka clan._

She brushed her hand against the books' spines as she skimmed the titles. Her lips twitched with amusement. The Yamanaka had clearly picked the most inoffensive books they could think of: _The Art of Flower Arranging, The Language of Flowers, A Brief History of Botany, Plants of the Land of Fire_, and so on.

After a moment of deliberation, she decided to pick one of the books on flower arranging. Kimi wasn't very good at it; her western sense of aesthetics clashed with the different style used in this part of the world.

She reached out but stopped just short of picking it. In the corner, all the way on the bottom shelf, an inconspicuous book caught her eye. Kimi bent down to better see the name.

_The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja._

She grabbed it and wiped off the dust that covered the novel. The cover was a dull brown and beige, with nothing but the title and author's name written on it. Without further ado, Kimi settled into a chair and began to read.

The novel was a short one; it took her no more than an hour to complete.

Now that she had read it, she could understand why the book hadn't sold well. The dialogue was stilted, the plot was simplistic, and the syntax was repetitive. Anyone could pick out the cliches and plot-twists; it was clearly a novice's work.

But at the same time, Kimi could understand why Minato had named his son after the protagonist. Each word oozed sincerity and heart, and the characters were incredibly well-developed. Kimi could see the similarities between the protagonists and the other Sannin, yes, but each person was written in a way that made them familiar and real.

_All in all, it isn't a bad book_, Kimi decided.

With a sigh, she stepped out of her room. The reading break was nice, but now she needed something concrete to do—Kimi was beginning to feel rather restless. (Another disadvantage of her youth: it was harder to stay still or concentrate.)

Kimi walked down the hallway, trying to pull up her mental map of the compound. Then, to her surprise, she noticed a slightly ajar door. The Yamanaka, and most ninja by extension, were generally strict about sealing off rooms. And if she remembered correctly… that room belonged to Ino.

With slight trepidation, Kimi extended her senses. She could feel the muted signature of Inoichi, and the bright but tiny chakra of Ino. Relaxing, she knocked twice on the door.

"Come in." The voice was Inoichi's, but it didn't sound very good.

Kimi entered the room quietly and closed the door behind her. "Inoichi-sensei?" she asked carefully. Kimi kept her expression deliberately blank when she noticed the state of her.

He looked worse. Much worse.

Dark bags had developed under his bloodshot eyes. Weariness was etched in feature, in every movement—it seemed like he was about to collapse. Inoichi's normally immaculate appearance was instead haphazard and careless.

"Sensei," she said, keeping her tone and face neutral, "you look like shit."

He chuckled weakly. "Who taught you how to curse?"

Kimi gave him a flat look. _What a terrible deflection_. "That attempt was embarrassing."

Inoichi straightened, and suddenly, the fatigue vanished from his face. He faced her with a bland smile; now, only eyes gave any hint of his tiredness. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kimi-chan."

"Right, and I'm secretly the Hokage." Kimi noticed Inoichi wince at that. She immediately felt guilty.

_Great job reminding him of his dead friend._

"Sensei," continued Kimi, bulldozing through the pained atmosphere she had caused, "did you really think that would work on me? I've been working at the hospital, remember? I've seen plenty of Yamanaka use dissociative techniques to ignore pain until they got medical treatment. But the second they let go, everything comes crashing down at once." She stared at him pointedly.

With a sigh, Inoichi let the weariness return. "You've become quite the mother hen, you know."

"Someone has to." Kimi examined him critically. "Sensei, have you slept at all since the attack?" She didn't wait for him to respond; she already knew the answer. "You need to rest. Don't wear yourself down." Her voice became softer. "Did you even take time to grieve?"

He paused, as if deliberating his answer. "No," he admitted finally. "I've been working non-stop. This is the first time I've returned home since… then."

"Take a week off." Kimi crossed her arms. "Konoha isn't going to fall apart without you. Besides, you'll be horribly unproductive if you work yourself to the bone."

Inoichi smiled wryly. "My work _is_ incredibly important, Kimi-chan. Now more than ever."

Kimi frowned in return. She knew he was the head of the Intelligence Division, and that Konoha would need him in the aftermath of a devastating attack, but… "A few days?" she tried. "Or just one day?"

He shook his head, smile still in place. "I have to take care of Ino, as well. I've asked the others to watch her when I'm gone, but there's no need to cause trouble to anyone when I'm home."

"I'll watch her." Her tone and expression was deathly serious. "Inoichi-sensei, if you continue like this, you'll fall apart. Take a few hours for yourself. I can watch Ino." Kimi glanced at the napping child. "She's sleeping, anyway. If Ino does wake up, I'll get help."

Inoichi looked torn. Much to her surprise, Kimi could read his emotions as he considered her offer. (She supposed it was one of three: Inoichi was too tired to mask his thoughts, Kimi had improved in her ability to read people, or Inoichi didn't care if she read his expression. Actually, it was probably a combination of them all.)

"Fine." Slowly, Inoichi pulled his wayward hair into a loose ponytail. "Thank you, Kimi-chan." She could detect a sliver of relief in his expression. "If either of you need anything, then don't hesitate to ask."

"Of course, sensei. Now, go get some rest."

Inoichi nodded in response, tired but sincere. After activating the seals for the room, he closed the door behind him.

* * *

Normally, babies all looked the same to Kimi—chubby cheeks, big eyes, small noses. It wasn't until they grew older that Kimi was able to find concrete differences and pick out family resemblances.

Even then, Kimi had to admit that Ino looked like a carbon copy of her mother. Sure, there were some superficial differences, like blue eyes and blonde hair, but the features were the same.

She winced at that. Kimi found it grossly unfair that she had known Misaki for nearly two years. But Ino, being a month old, wouldn't have any memories of the graceful woman; Kimi, on the other hand, would have plenty.

Kimi's musing was interrupted by a soft cry from the child in question.

Gently, she rocked Ino, lulling the blinking child back to sleep. Kimi wasn't surprised to see that Ino had inherited the pupil-less eyes that both her parents had. (Well, they weren't technically pupil-less. In order to see, eyes required pupils. However, the solid-color eyes probably had pupils that were the same shade as the iris—or pupils that were shaped in a way that made them less visible. But it gave the illusion of pupil-less eyes, which was how the majority of people referred to them, anyways.) Most members of the Yamanaka clan had pupil-less eyes, though the actual color varied. Kimi wasn't sure if the unusual eyes served a purpose, though she was fairly certain that the Yamanaka didn't have an ocular jutsu.

Kimi began humming any and every lullaby she could think of. She sang lullabies that both her mothers, in this world and her own, had sang to her. Kimi wasn't the best singer, but she liked to think she could carry a tune. _But then again, doesn't everybody?_

Ino seemed to like it well enough; quickly, without a care in the world, she fell back to sleep.

* * *

A week and a half after the Nine Tails' attack, Kimi's father returned to Konoha. The first place he went to was the Yamanaka compound. Whatever feelings he had about ninja were put aside in the aftermath of the attack; for now, he was grateful that the Yamanaka had informed him of his wife's death and his daughter's safety.

"Kimi," he whispered, choked at the sight of her. He immediately swept her into a tight hug. "You're alive. You're alive." He'd known that for several days, but he'd been worried sick regardless.

His daughter hugged him back, just as tightly. "You're back. But…" Kimi looked up at him, face scrunched up with sadness. "Mom didn't make it," she said softly.

"Shh, I know." He stroked her hair. "But you did. And that's what matters."

* * *

**AN: **Natural disasters are very, very hard on the survivors. The next chapter will introduce more canon characters and detail more of Kimi's time at the Academy.

To clear things up a bit: Kimi is eight during the Nine Tails attack, and she will be turning nine in the December of that year.

Thanks to **MalevolentRace** for being my beta and dealing with all my questions.

I apologize for this chapter's delay. I hope this chapter's abnormal length made up for the wait. I really appreciate the kind words of encouragement sent by my readers. Thank you all for reading.

The recommendation for this chapter is **Pulling the Strings **by _Hubris Plus_. It's a well-written fanfic with the rare male SI, focusing on Kankuro.


	7. Mending

**Chapter Seven: Mending**

* * *

"Dad? It's okay to cry."

He held her in his arms and said nothing.

* * *

Kimi's home had never been very big. A living room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom all made up the interior, and there had been no yard to speak of—just permanently wilting flowers on the window sill. Regardless, the house had been packed with domestic touches, with countless picture frames and trinkets from all across Fire country, brought back by her father from his trips.

Barely anything remained.

The civilian district that she had lived in was one of the worst hit areas. Kimi's entire neighborhood had been burned to the ground. Her home was now a pile of charred wood and ashes.

Yet, even amidst the devastation, a few precious objects survived. Several photos, lucky enough to avoid the flames, lay mostly preserved under the rubble. Another one of the survivors was Buzama, the ugly cat bauble that her mother had loved.

Kimi, clutching both the tiny statue and the photographs, made her way to the ruins that had been her room. The bookshelf was overturned but undamaged. With her heart in her throat, Kimi carefully overturned the heavy shelf with a chakra-enhanced shove.

Many books were destroyed beyond repair, including several of the texts she had borrowed from the Archive. A few others remained. But Kimi wasn't concerned about any of those.

After searching frantically, she finally found her two journals. The one containing the timeline was mostly intact.

Her diary was not.

Kimi felt a rush of sorrow—melancholy, perhaps—at the sight of the ruined book. The memories of her past life had been contained within it: her mother, her brothers, her friends… the food, the culture, the places, everything she could remember about the world she had left behind. It added another dull ache to the fresh wounds caused by the recent lives lost.

But unlike the dead, the past could be rewritten.

"Kimi-chan," called her father. "Did you find anything?" His tone was subdued; Kimi dimly noted that he had difficulty looking at her.

"Yeah, I did." Kimi grabbed the surviving books and managed to carry everything with her. Kimi's father had found several items in the wreckage as well, including a few mugs and additional pictures.

"Good. Are you ready to go?"

Kimi looked back at the wreckage.

"Yes. I am."

* * *

Approximately two weeks after the attack, Konoha was functioning well enough to officially hold memorials for the many dead.

For seven days, there were nothing but funerals. Whether due to irony or the gods' sense of humor, the skies were clear and beautiful. Even the heavens could get tired of mourning.

After all, life goes on.

About a month later, the Academy was rebuilt. Classes started again, as did a semblance of normalcy. But nothing was the same. Their teachers were different—many had died in the attack. The curriculum was different. It felt like war time again. Worst of all, the students were different. From what Kimi could see, about sixty percent of the students were missing from school. Her grade level had dropped from five classes of twenty-five to two classes of thirty. The change brought new students, including a few she recognized from canon. Inuzuka Hana, for one. Her three adorable pups were unmistakable. A few clan kids from the Hyuuga and Aburame were also present.

But the person she was most concerned about was Uchiha Itachi.

He was every bit the genius people said he was. Itachi had a near instinctual understanding of the theoretical and practical subjects, and his ability with strategy and tactics surpassed that of the Naras in the class. Unfailingly polite, Itachi was held up as the model heir and ninja.

She watched him carefully. Kimi knew that danger followed in his wake—the kind she did not want to get involved with. But her vigilance lessened when nothing changed. Itachi paid no more attention to her than anyone else, to her relief. Kimi soon decided to turn her attention to a different matter: the stability of her friends.

* * *

Kimi's group was missing a member.

Sweet, innocent Hakui. The girl who loved daisy chains and dresses, who dreamed of becoming a med-nin—she was in a coma. Kimi had checked Hakui's medical chart. Her chances of survival were bleak.

But the gaping hole left by Hakui's absence wasn't the only cause of the grim atmosphere. Not a single child had been untouched by the attack. Yugao's brother, Tsubaki's father, Mizuki's parents and Iruka's parents were a few of the many casualties.

Out of the four remaining members in Kimiko's group, Mizuki was the most withdrawn. Though Iruka and Mizuki were both orphans now, Iruka had his grandmother. Having no living family, Mizuki had to live in the orphanage. At first, lunchtime was made of heavy silences punctuated by awkward attempts at conversation. It took a while for everyone to become comfortable with each other again, and Kimi didn't blame them.

But before she knew it, a week had passed since school had started again. As expected, the results of the first tests had come out. Kimi checked them absently, noting that she'd come in first for every written category. (There was no way in hell she'd do less than perfect in a test meant for children.) Her eyes scanned the list, and she froze. In second place was Uchiha Itachi.

_Shit. By scoring higher than the vaunted Uchiha Itachi, I might have attracted too much attention._ In the Academy, Kimi had cultivated the persona of a book-smart, perceptive child. A bit awkward with her peers, maybe, but nothing too unusual. But Uchiha Itachi had the reputation for being the kind of genius that only came once in a generation. He was regularly spoken in the same breath as the Sannin, Hatake Kakashi, the Yondaime—heck, even the original Team 7 and Madara. No one was supposed to beat him at _anything_.

Involuntarily, she glanced at the young Uchiha, who was looking at the results with a slight frown. As if he felt her staring, Itachi turned to look at her. Kimi met his eyes calmly before looking away.

* * *

After that day, Kimi made sure to get one or two questions wrong on the written tests. Her streak of first places were broken, and she usually got second or sometimes even third. She'd made sure to compensate by trying a little harder in the practicals, so her overall ranking of ten wasn't affected. Kimi also did her best to avoid Uchiha Itachi as much as possible. She did not want to get involved in any sort of Uchiha issue, thank you very much. (Deep down, in the darkest depths of her mind, Kimi knew the truth was more reprehensible: she was afraid. Kimi was afraid of a child who would massacre his entire family. What kind of monster would do that, regardless of justification?)

Her group took her avoidance of Uchiha Itachi as a case of jealousy, a misconception that Kimi tacitly encouraged.

"It's ok, Kimi-chan!" said Yugao sympathetically. "Itachi's just in a whole 'nother league. Besides, you're much nicer than him. He's kinda stuck up."

But it wasn't Itachi that she should have worried about.

* * *

Kimi slowly packed her books, pencils, and shinobi supplies. School might be over for today, but she was no rush to leave. She wasn't the only one; a few kids were chatting with their friends or asking the teacher questions. One was even reading—Inuzuka Hana, if Kimi remembered correctly. Next to Itachi, she was the youngest student in the class. Kimi suspected that Hana had only moved up the grades to avoid the appearance of Uchiha favoritism. At least, that's what she'd heard. From what Kimi had _seen_, Hana seemed determined to prove her detractors wrong. The Inuzuka was still studying; she was completely absorbed in a thick tome. _I don't think she realized that the bell rang._

Kimi grabbed her backpack and walked over to the Inuzuka girl. Hana's three pups raised their heads, woken from their nap by Kimi's approach, but they did nothing else. Kimi glanced over at the book and raised an eyebrow. Hana was reading a medical text about purifying Yin chakra.

"Wow," remarked Kimi. "That's a pretty advanced book for your age."

Hana bristled. "Excuse me?" Now fully awake, the three pups stood up.

Taken aback at her response, Kimi hesitated for a moment. "I-I mean, most people don't start on purifying their chakra until after graduation."

The Inuzuka's eyes narrowed. "Yeah. So?"

"Well, I just…" She backpedaled. "I've been working on medical jutsu, too. I could, you know, help out if you need anything…" Kimi finished weakly.

"I don't need your help!" Hana slammed the book closed. "Just cause I'm younger than you doesn't mean I'm weaker or dumber!" She pushed back her chair and stormed out. Her growling companions quickly followed her.

_Well, that didn't go as expected_. Kimi sighed, berating herself. She'd gotten used to being treated like an adult again, with Inoichi and Dr. Nohara. At school, she was usually more careful, but sometimes, she slipped. Like just now. What Kimi had said would be a compliment from an adult, but it sounded rather insulting coming from someone a few years older than Hana.

Kimi looked away from the door, only to notice everyone staring at her. Even Daikoku had paused in his conversation to give Kimi a curious look.

_Great. Just what I need. More attention._

* * *

Though still hectic, the hospital was no longer flooded with patients. Most of the patients from the Nine-Tails attack had recovered in the past few months, and the hospital operations had mostly returned to normal. The newer patients were more likely to be suffering from exhaustion than anything else. After the attack, all the ninja were being worked to the bone in order to maintain the illusion of strength. And that included the med-nin.

Kimi did what she could to help out. Her workload had increased dramatically, with Inoichi's constant training and the Academy's assignments, but she made sure to come weekly. By now, Kimi and Dr. Nohara had an established routine; Kimi would work on the smaller injuries while the doctor worked on the more complicated ones.

"Kimi-chan, could you pass me the bandages?" Kimi passed it to her, and Dr. Nohara wrapped the unconscious kunoichi's leg. "That should do it."

They worked in companionable silence for a few minutes. Kimi wondered what was on Kyou's mind; the older woman was constantly glancing at her.

"I won't be at the hospital for several months." said Dr. Nohara suddenly.

"What? Why? Is something wrong?" Kimi looked at the doctor with concern.

"I'm getting married."

Kimi blinked. _Well. I didn't expect that. Doctor Nohara's never mentioned a significant other, let alone a fianc__é__. The hospital is basically her life. _ "O-Oh, wow! Who's the lucky person?"

"Tane Seicho."

She frowned. "Wait…" _I've heard that name before._ "The flirty stitches guy?" she yelped, finally remembering. "Why are you getting married to him?" Kimi flushed, realizing how rude she'd been. "Sorry, I—"

Dr. Nohara waved her off. "No, I understand. It seems out of character, doesn't it?" Her eyes became pensive. At Kimi's puzzled look, the older woman began to explain. "I'd almost died in the attack, you know. Had I had a single iota less of chakra, I wouldn't had made it. I'm the last Nohara. If I die, my bloodline dies with me. I'm… I'm not growing any younger." She cracked a smile. "In the past month, I've had seven messages from the Intelligence Division. All not-so-subtly hinting that I start procreating."

"So… it's for children," Kimi said slowly.

Dr. Nohara nodded. "Of course. Tane-san might be a bit… unpolished, but he has good chakra control. Being civilian-born, he's agreed to take my name. There's none of that messiness that comes from marrying other clan shinobi. And most of all, Tane-san doesn't mind my leg." She gestured to her prosthetic. "It's a good match."

Kimi mused that over. _It's a self-arranged marriage, I guess. As long as they both want it…_ "I'm sure it will be."

"Thanks, Kimi-chan." Kyou checked the clock. "Well, it's getting late. I'm leaving now."

Kimi gaped at her. "You're leaving? Voluntarily?"

The doctor winked. "I have a date with my future husband. I don't want to be late."

After saying her farewells, Kimi watched as the doctor walked down the hallway.

"All for the glory of Konoha," she murmured. With a sigh, Kimi went back to the hospital rooms. She had more patients to heal.

* * *

Every month or so, the Academy held tournaments for each grade level. First came the gendered spars, where boys were matched against boys and vice-versa, and then came the general tournament, which was no holds barred, literally and metaphorically. The results of the tournament were factored into the overall class rankings, so most students took it very seriously.

Kimi wasn't a fan of beating up little kids, but she tried—sometimes. Kimi had solid-enough scores in the other subjects to afford slacking off in the tournament.

Right now, the gendered tournament was in progress. Yugao was fighting against a Hyuuga girl named Natsu. Despite copious use of the Byakugan, Natsu was losing miserably. Yugao was simply too fast and too skilled with the sword for the Hyuuga to react properly. Though her theoretical subjects could use some work, Yugao was, without a doubt, the strongest kunoichi in their class.

Clapping, Kimi cheered as Yugao finished the spar. Most people joined her; Yugao was well liked by both the boys and girls.

Daikoku let the cheering continue for a little longer. "Alright, that's enough. Make the seal of reconciliation, girls." Grudgingly, Natsu accepted Yugao's hand and shook. The teacher patted both girls on the back. "Yugao-chan, good job, as usual. Natsu-chan, your defense needs some work." The Hyuuga flushed brightly at the criticism. Her clan was known for their impenetrable defense, after all.

Pretending not to notice, Daikoku turned away from the two girls. "Now, next up! Mita Kimiko and Inuzuka Hana! Step into the ring."

"It's Kimi," she muttered as she stepped forward. As they passed each other, Yugao clapped Kimi on the back. Tense and ready, Hana and her companions stood across from Kimi in the circle. _I have terrible luck. But was it really just a coincidence that Hana's my partner?_ Kimi gave the grinning teacher a considering look.

"I'll show you who's weak!" Hana's snarl was echoed by her three pups. It might have been intimidating if it weren't coming from a six year old.

Kimi smiled politely and made the seal of confrontation.

"Start!"

Hana leaped forward. The Inuzuka tried to grab her, but Kimi just managed to sidestep. In these kind of matches, Kimi was at a disadvantage. She refused to use poisons on little kids—their developing bodies might react adversely—and she refused to use her rudimentary genjutsu for about the same reason. Her strongest technique, medical ninjutsu, could easily be used in battle, but most were lethal or extremely painful.

Kimi dodged Hana's high kick and grabbed her outstretched foot. She pinched Hana's ankle, putting pressure on the nerves that passed through. _I might not be able to use medical jutsu, but I can certainly use the knowledge._ Tripping over her own feet, the Inuzuka yelped and stumbled back, which was to be expected. Most nerves in the lower extremities helped with balance.

She tossed a few blunt senbon at the canines to keep them from surrounding her. Hana charged forward, full of anger. Kimi wasn't the best at taijutsu, but she did know how to keep a clear head in battle, something Hana hadn't yet mastered. Though the Inuzuka girl had more skill and raw talent, her moves had become sloppy in her rage.

"I'm gonna tear you apart!" Hana howled and tried to scratch Kimi's face. Kimi simply tilted her head back, avoiding the sharp nails. Then, one of the pups latched onto her leg, and Kimi fell backwards. She rolled to avoid being kicked, but the dog was still attached to her feet.

"Let me show you my clan technique, Kimiko!" Hana's nails elongated, and her teeth grew sharper. _Shit_. Kimi glanced around. Behind her was edge of circle. _If I want this to work, I have to time this right_.

Hana went on all fours and pounced. At the last second, Kimi rolled again—right out of the circle.

"Stop!" called the teacher. "Kimiko lost. Stand up and make the seal of reconciliation." Hastily, Kimi stood and brushed the dirt off her skirt. She had a reputation to maintain, after all. Kimi winced at Daikoku's look. Apparently, she wasn't as convincing as she thought.

"That was a good spar." Kimi made her voice quaver slightly. "You were really strong." _Hopefully, this loss will get Hana off my back_.

"Don't pa-patronize me!" Hana scowled. "You lost on purpose!"

The teacher hummed. "That's a serious accusation, Hana-chan. What makes you think that?" He glanced at Kimi, too fast for most students to see, but the Yamanaka had trained Kimi well. It was only a second, but Kimi saw his expression: smugness. Daikoku had noticed her act as well.

"Because if she'd rolled forward, I would've fell out of the ring!"

Kimi shook her head. "I… I didn't realize that," she said, faking embarrassment. "Everything was moving so fast and I…" she trailed off, forcing a blush. _Perfect._

The teacher frowned. Oddly, he seemed unwilling to push the issue. "Alright, girls. Make the seal of reconciliation."

Kimi held out her hand. Hana grabbed it tightly. "Let me know if you want me to heal your bruises," Hana growled, baring her teeth.

"Sure!" Kimi smiled. "That would be very helpful."

Hana blinked. "Huh?" She narrowed her eyes. "Y-Yeah, I _knew_ you were lying about knowing medical jutsu! You can't even heal your own bruises."

She laughed lightly. "Well, I do have a lot of them—"

Then, Yugao stepped in. "That's not true!" she shouted. "Kimi knows how to heal bruises and cuts and sprains and even broken bones!" Yugao's hand drifted to her practice sword.

_Ah, crap._ Kimi had healed all the kids in her group, for one injury or another. She never expected that to backfire on her. _Yugao, you're a darling, but now is not the time for defending me._ Kimi knew that she had been very close to reconciling with Hana. At least, before Yugao had stepped in.

"You're lying!" Hana stepped forward. "There's no _way_ someone like Kimiko could do that!"

"It's Kimi!" Yugao grabbed the hilt of her sword. "Not Kimiko!"

Kimi winced. _Again, I appreciate Yugao's loyalty, but this is taking it a bit too far_. "Guys," she stepped in between them to diffuse the situation, "it's not a big deal. We're all friends, here." Kimi shot the teacher a pleading look. Daikoku smirked back and did nothing.

"Speak for yourself." Hana settled into a taijutsu stance. "I'd never be friends with an arrogant little liar!"

Yugao unsheathed her sword. "You take that back!"

Kimi grabbed Yugao's arm. "Let it go, Yugao-chan," she whispered. "It's not worth it. You don't want to get in trouble." Kimi could see Yugao struggle with the decision. Anger warred with practicality. In the end, practicality won out, and Yugao stepped back.

"This isn't over!" Yugao sheathed her sword. Hana glared but also straightened out of her crouch.

"Hana-san!" called out Kimi. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you."

"Keep your fake apologies to yourself!" With a sniff, Hana deliberately turned her back on her. Kimi winced. _Turning your back on a friend means you trust them. Turning your back on someone you don't know means that you think they're weak_. It was quite an insult, one that almost made Yugao lose her temper again. Though Kimi expected otherwise, she hoped that there wouldn't be too many consequences from this schoolyard spat.

* * *

After school, Kimi made herself a simple vegetable stir fry and rice. Her father was on a business trip, and he'd asked their neighbor Asuka to watch her. The old woman often forgot Kimi existed, which Kimi appreciated; she liked her new-found independence.

Kimi finished her food and headed to the Yamanaka's compound. All the sentries knew her by now; all Kimi had to do was smile to be let in. She traveled absentmindedly through the hallways; Kimi knew the Yamanaka compound better than her own home.

"Ah, Kimi-chan!"

"Inoichi-sensei," she greeted as Inoichi caught up with her. "You look well." And it was true. Though he seemed a bit haggard, Inoichi no longer looked like he was about to fall apart. The bags under his eyes were gone, and his manners were as polished as ever.

"Thank you. As do you." He smiled and turned down a separate hallway, one that Kimi had never been in. "Today we're doing something… different."

"Oh?" Kimi gave him a look.

"Yes." He pushed open a polished wooden door. "This is my office."

She stepped inside. The room was large and sparsely furnished. The wall facing the door was covered with bookshelves, and the desk in the room was simple but elegant—like everything of the Yamanaka's. There were two chairs on either side of the desk and nothing else.

Inoichi sat down, his back facing the bookshelf. "Take a seat, Kimi-chan."

Kimi obeyed. _Her_ back was facing the door. The Yamanaka's own training had pressed the importance of position, and Kimi was beginning to feel acutely uncomfortable.

"How was your day, Kimi-chan?"

She scowled. "What's your next question?" Kimi deepened her voice in imitation of Inoichi. "Did you make any friends, Kimi-chan?"

Inoichi laughed softly at her impersonation. Still, he repeated the question. "How was your day?"

Kimi sighed. "Not well. I think I started a feud with Inuzuka clan," she admitted.

Her teacher leaned back, more amused than surprised. "Do tell."

Without ceremony, Kimi recounted the events of the day. "... and then she called me an arrogant liar. She also claimed that I give fake apologies."

Inoichi tilted his head and looked at her. "So?"

Kimi didn't bother to hide her confusion. "What?"

"So, what do you think of her claims?"

She chewed on her lip, suddenly uncomfortable and not just because of the door. "I mean… I think they're a little unfounded. I don't think I'm that arrogant, and I usually mean my apologies. As for the lying, well." Kimi shrugged.

Inoichi laughed again, this time loudly. "Is that what you really think?"

Shifting in her seat, Kimi tried not to look away. "I don't understand. What are you trying to say?" After a second, she added, "Inoichi-sensei."

His eyes became flat. Kimi felt as if he had examined every part of her and found her wanting. "Contrary to what you'd expect, the Inuzuka are very perceptive, especially when concerning people. It comes from that innate pack mentality, I suppose. Hana was fairly accurate in her judgement. Don't you think so?" He didn't wait for her response.

"You accept your ability to lie, at least. It's a positive trait for a ninja. We've been training you in this skill, not that you really needed it. Lying comes as naturally as breathing for you. As for your apologies… sometimes you mean them. You have the admirable quality of acknowledging blame when it's due. Mostly, they're just a technique to avoid conflict. Rarely do you believe your apologies." He chuckled. "And your arrogance. Oh, your _arrogance_. You can't actually think yourself humble, Kimi-chan. If anything, your arrogance is your defining quality. You think yourself better than your peers, than your family." Inoichi smiled. "You even think yourself better than me."

Kimi felt as if someone had pulled her chair from under her. _Do I really appear that arrogant?_ She felt a surge of anger, but it was quickly buried under her emotional turmoil. _But I _am _more mature than the children; I'm an adult, for heaven's sake. Is it so bad to want equal treatment?_ Kimi closed her eyes. _But I'm not an adult now. I'm supposed to be a kid._ But she wanted freedom. Inoichi had given her a taste of independence, and Kimi wanted it so much that it hurt. _But Inoichi doesn't really think of me as an adult, does he?_ She didn't know what to think, either of Inoichi's claims or how he'd said them.

She'd seen many sides of her teacher. Kimi had seen him be polite, playful, and even vulnerable… but never had she seen him so cold.

Then, he shook his head, and he returned to his normal self. "Kimi… the mind arts, as we like to call them, are incredibly complex." He'd dropped the suffix, and that hadn't passed her notice. "In order to use them, you must have complete understanding of yourself. You must acknowledge each flaw, each morsel of guilt, each fear lurking in your consciousness." Inoichi pinned her with his gaze. "It's not easy. What I said was just the beginning. If you want to back out, I won't hold it against you. But if you want to continue learning the mind arts, then you must be ready."

Kimi wet her dry lips. "Mind arts?" She'd learned how to deceive, how to read others, and how to manipulate them. But Inoichi had always called it _the subtle arts_. "Do you mean... like, your clan techniques?" she said, trying to sound joking. Trying to pretend like his words hadn't affected her.

"Somewhat," he admitted. "But not exactly. The majority of the Yamanaka's techniques depend on our bloodline. We have an innate understanding of the mind that cannot be taught." He gave a smile. "It's like walking or breathing for us.

"However, learning to defend the mind does not require that natural understanding. It does require a firm sense of self, though. All of our techniques do." His smile turned sharp. "Even Yamanaka have lost themselves in the mind arts."

"I see," Kimi said slowly. _Inoichi is offering to teach me more than just simple tricks. But why? _

"So?" Inoichi leaned forward. "I will not force you on this issue." His voice grew soft, almost tender. "This is entirely your choice."

For Kimi, it wasn't a choice. She was a psychiatrist. The opportunity to look deeper into someone's mind, their consciousness… "I want to learn."

* * *

Chakra, by its very nature, was tied to physical and mental states. Thus, it affected and was affected by emotion. The basic principle was simple, almost commonplace. Most sensors read emotion instinctively, and most medics took advantage of it when healing their patients, but no one considered it a _skill_. But the Yamanaka did. And by extension, so did Kimi. Learning how to control her own chakra's response to emotions wasn't difficult for her; she'd always been in tune with her emotions.

Learning how to read emotions through other people's chakra was proving more complicated. But it was the first step in the mind arts—a skill every Yamanaka practiced in childhood until it became as instinctive as breathing. She had to master it.

And that was Kimi's justification for using it on her friends. But really, how was it any different from reading body language? Most doctors would kill to have such an effective tool for reading emotional states.

All through lunch, Kimi extended her chakra sense to gauge the emotions of her friends. She had to be extra careful with Tsubaki and Yugao, as they were both sensors, but they didn't seem to notice anything different. Mentally, all the children seemed to be doing much better. Sure, Iruka acted up sometimes; he'd rub his new scar before doing something reckless. Yugao would get angry easily, and Tsubaki would just become silent. But none of their behavior was extreme. Kimi expected them all to recover without outside involvement.

Save Mizuki, that is.

For a second time, just to make sure, Kimi sensed Mizuki's emotions again. His chakra was tightly bunched in his core, and it constantly alternated between anger, sorrow and jealousy. Mizuki still sat with the group, and he still talked and laughed with the group, but it was all an act. His sarcastic comments grew caustic, and Kimi hadn't missed his dark, jealous glare. His behavior was toxic.

Kimi frowned. By now, all the kids had finished eating. Everyone was lounging around, finishing work or relaxing. There were ten minutes left until lunch ended, too. Now was as good time as any.

"Mizuki-kun," she whispered to him. "Can I talk to you?"

He gave her a puzzled look but agreed. "Whatcha need?"

"I mean, alone. Follow me?"

Mizuki's confusion grew. "Um… okay." He stood up. Quietly, Kimi started walking away from the rest of the kids. Yugao was the only one to notice; she shot them a curious look, but she said nothing.

Kimi led him to a clearing behind the school. The floor was uneven from the roots of thorny bushes surrounding them. Not many kids ever came to this place. It was too uncomfortable for either relaxing or practicing. Mizuki watched with confusion as Kimi cast one of the two genjutsu she knew.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just making sure that our conversation remains private. No one can eavesdrop on us now." It was as simple D-rank jutsu that made their conversation inaudible. Inoichi had promised to teach her the more advanced version, but he'd avoided the subject since.

Mizuki crossed his arms. "So, what's the deal?"

Kimi frowned to herself. She knew _what_ she had to say, but she wasn't sure how to say it. After a few seconds of deliberation, Kimi decided to go with directness. "Mizuki-kun, is something wrong?"

His face darkened. "What kind of question is that?"

She extended her chakra sense again. Though Kimi didn't need chakra to know this, Mizuki's emotions were once again in turmoil. Once again, she cursed Konoha's utter lack of mental health care, especially for children. "You've been acting weird," she replied. "You haven't been talking much, and… you've been kinda mean." _Especially to Iruka. _Kimi knew the reasons for his behavior, but no one had confronted him for it. Not even the teachers.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mizuki's expression darkened.

He was blatantly lying. "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." Kimi gave him a look. "What you're doing isn't right."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" he shouted. "Do you expect me to be the same when my, when my…" Mizuki gritted his teeth, "when my parents have died?"

_Now it all comes out_.

"You don't understand! None of you understand!" His hands balled into fists.

Kimi waited for him to continue. When no response seemed forthcoming, she decided to speak. Mental health professionals weren't supposed to share any personal experiences of their own, but Kimi was much too close to the kids to be their therapist. She'd have to approach this from a different angle. "I lost my mother, you know. And my sibling." _And my world_.

That brought out a response. "It's not the same! You still have your dad! And," he spat, "the Yamanaka clan behind you. And Iruka has his grandmother and the _Hokage_ and the everyone else still has their family! _You _weren't shoved into an orphanage with nothing! I have nothing!" He was almost screaming, now. Abruptly, he became calm, almost conversational. "The Nine Tails did this. And it's still alive. It's a baby, now. Konoha's done nothing about the monster that killed my parents!"

Kimi stepped back like she'd been slapped. _He already knows?_ "How did you—"

"No one pays attention to a pathetic orphan." His eyes were filled with self-loathing. "Why should they? I'm worthless."

"No, that's—"

Mizuki shook his head. "How many great shinobi came from civilian families?"

Kimi looked at him. He looked back, waiting. "Namikaze Minato," she said quietly.

"Of the great geniuses that Konoha produced, only one was civilian-born. And he's dead." His hands shook. "Don't you see? I don't have a chance. And without my family, I'm…" The dam broke, and Mizuki frame shook with heart-wrenching sobs.

Kimi's own heart broke for the kid. Mizuki was too perceptive for his own good. She sat next to him and said nothing. As Inoichi had said, sometimes, the most important thing was to listen.

After a moment of hesitation, Mizuki sighed softly. He looked up, and the two watched the clouds in silence.

"What do you want to do?" Kimi broke the silence once Mizuki's emotional state began to settle.

He took his time in answering. "I want to be an Academy teacher." Mizuki's voice shook slightly. "It's… not a bad goal for someone like me. And it's important. I want to make sure that civilian kids are treated normal. So they don't have to be like me." He became more confident as he spoke. "I mean, I'll probably be stuck in the Genin Corps, but if I work hard, I can get a field promotion. It's not impossible."

Kimi used every skill she had, from chakra sense to body language, to see if Mizuki was telling the truth. And while Mizuki was a good liar, he wasn't as good as she was. As far as she could tell, he was telling the truth.

Kimi could easily see how Mizuki had gone down that path in the show. He'd probably labored away in the Corps for years before receiving any recognition, and Mizuki become jaded enough to put the ends before the means. After seeing Iruka achieve his dreams with a fraction of effort, simply because he'd been from a ninja family, Mizuki had become resentful. Or so she speculated.

She didn't approve of what he'd done, of course not. But Kimi knew that his original desire came from good intentions.

"I think it's a very good goal. I'll do what I can to help." And she meant it. The bell rang, signifying the end of lunch break. Kimi offered Mizuki a hand. "Now, let's go to class." Mizuki took her hand. He hadn't recovered completely—there was no magic therapy jutsu—it would take years and years for that. But it was a start.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kimi saw a flash of red.

* * *

The Academy had a rigid method of teaching. There were lectures, notes, and assigned reading—none of the arts and crafts that elementary school students would have done back in her home world. However, the Academy was very insistent on group work. The number of students in a group varied from two to five, and the teachers were always sure to emphasize the role teamwork would play in their lives as a ninja. On average, the teachers assigned three or four group projects a month. Besides, it also gave them an opportunity to see how the students interacted with one another.

So, Kimi wasn't surprised when Daikoku, their new teacher, gave them another project. The assignment itself was simple. They were given the details of a C-rank escort mission, and their job was to write how they planned to complete it.

But she was dismayed to learn that Uchiha Itachi was to be her partner.

Kimi looked at the boy who had silently taken a seat next to her. Uchiha Itachi. A scrawny seven year old with dark eyes and the beginnings of stress lines. He didn't look very dangerous.

The boy looked back at her. "Hello, Mita-san. It is a pleasure to work with you." His voice was high-pitched in that childlike way, but his tone and bearing were much more mature. It was quite unnerving, really.

_Is this how I sound to the Yamanaka?_ She looked down and forced herself to blush. _No, I must be worse. Itachi's frighteningly intelligent, but he's never been an adult. _"Okay," she mumbled, playing with the hem of her shirt. "Nice to meet you. C-Could you… I mean, you can call me Kimi."

He tilted his head. "And you may call me Itachi." For a little kid, his tone was ridiculously aristocratic.

They worked in near silence, only speaking when necessary. Kimi worked hard to keep up her facade, even acting resentful a few times. She _was_ supposed to be jealous of him. Itachi mirrored her reticence, but he was unfailingly polite.

But after her first (deliberate) mistake—which Itachi corrected—his attitude changed.

"You intentionally plan to receive lower scores on the written tests." His words were flat, emotionless.

By now, Kimi was too practiced to give herself away any further. "What?" She infused the word with just the right amount of confusion, shock, and distress. "Well, sorry for not being good enough for you." Gripping her pencil tightly, Kimi looked away.

Itachi tilted his head. "Did anyone ask you to score lower than me?" he asked seriously.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

His eyes flashed red. Literally. Kimi flinched at the sight of the Sharingan—this time, her reaction wasn't fake. He didn't give an explanation for his action, and Kimi didn't ask for one either.

They continued to work in silence.

"If you'd like," Itachi said suddenly, "I could ask the teacher to switch my partner."

Kimi stopped at that. Then, she looked at him again. Really looked at him. This was the boy who would grow up to murder every man, woman, and child in his family to protect his brother. He would work as the fugitive for the rest of his short, miserable life to serve Konoha. He was one of the strongest men who would ever live. And one of the most reprehensible murderers in the entire show.

He was a kid. And under the layers of his blank, refined mask, Kimi could detect a tiny bit of hurt.

She closed her eyes. _I've been an asshole, haven't I? He's like Mizuki. He hasn't done anything. But I've been treating him like a criminal. I'm such a hypocrite. I promised myself that I'd act... but how can I do that if I try to avoid everyone I deem dangerous_

Kimi looked towards the front of the room. The teacher had stepped out for a smoke break, and all the other students were focused on their work. She faced Itachi again. This time, she let a little of her own mask slip.

"No, it's fine." She smiled. "You were right."

Though Itachi's face remained neutral, Kimi saw understanding and a smidgen of triumph in his eyes. "I see."

They continued on the project, and Kimi made an effort to engage in more conversation. Her body language was the same, but her words were incongruous; every so often, she spoke to him like an adult. Several times during their conversation, Itachi's eyes flashed red, so fast that Kimi wondered if she had imagined it. She still didn't remark upon it.

Once the class was over, the lunch bell rang. The teacher dismissed them, and the students flooded out of the classroom. Kimi joined them. Once she stepped outside the classroom, she hesitated and looked back. Itachi was following them at a much slower pace.

"Hey, Itachi-kun."

Outwardly unsurprised, Itachi looked at her. But Kimi had noticed a telltale twitch of his fingers that telegraphed his shock. "Yes?" he replied.

"Do you want to join us for lunch?" Kimi knew that he usually ate alone. There were no other Uchiha in the class, and Itachi usually spent lunch practicing.

His eyes flickered red again. After a moment, he responded. "Yes."

To say that her group was startled to see Itachi would be an understatement. But after some initial wariness, they accepted him. Yugao in particular seemed to like the younger boy; she drew him into a detailed discussion on the merits of swords versus shorter blades.

While Itachi didn't join them for lunch each day, he did come by every once in awhile. Kimi was glad for that; it wasn't healthy for a young kid to isolate himself.

(But Kimi couldn't help but wonder if her intervention would make any difference.)

* * *

**AN: **The Academy years are quickly drawing to a close. While this chapter focused on her academic side, the next chapter should focus on the political maneuvering... and the actions of various clans. Instead of having one monstrously large chapter, I've decided to split it into two. Chapter Eight will mark the actual end of Part One.

Also, would any of you be interested in a collection of side-stories from this same universe? This would include deleted scenes, events from other characters' perspective, and anything I decide not to include in the main story. On a different note, I would like to thank _AnalogToothBrush _for recommending this story in her fanfic **Mitama's Ladder**! I really do appreciate shout-outs.

Many thanks to **MalevolentRace**, my infinitely awesome beta. Their help has been invaluable.

And thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment, during and after my long absence.

This chapter's recommendation is **The Way of the Apartment Manager** by _Elizabeth Culmer_. It's not a OC-insert in the traditional sense; instead, it focuses on the changes that an ordinary ninja can make. The characterization is just great.


	8. Enduring

**Chapter Eight: Enduring**

* * *

Two weeks after her project with Itachi, Kimi ran into Inoichi waiting outside the Academy.

"Sensei," she squawked, nearly losing grip of her backpack. "What are you doing here?"

Inoichi gave a much-too-innocent grin. Considering that he was still dressed in the gray uniform of the Intelligence Division, it made for an interesting contrast. "I just wanted to visit my student. Why else?"

She gave him a look. "I come to your house practically everyday."

"Oh, you wound me." He pressed his hand to his chest and effected an expression of great hurt. "Is it so hard to believe that I simply want to walk you home? These are dangerous streets for a young girl."

Her disbelief grew. "Really, Inoichi-sensei? I've been walking on these streets for the last four years. And if the streets in the center of Konoha are unsafe, then someone isn't doing their job." She shook her head. "You don't have to escort me. You've never done it before."

"Kimi-chan, your tongue is too sharp for your own good." He sighed, but his exasperation was tinged with amusement. "Now, I insist."

It wasn't like she really had a choice. "Fine."

"Excellent." As they started walking, Inoichi made a few hand signs. Kimi stiffened as she felt a net of chakra fall over her. At her curious expression, Inoichi explained. "It's a genjutsu that hides our conversation. Anyone listening will just hear ordinary small talk."

Her eyes widened. That was certainly more useful than the simple silence genjutsu she knew. "Will you teach me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. But it's a B-rank. It's rather complicated."

She scowled. "You say that for every genjutsu."

"Because it's true." A gleam came into his eyes. "But considering your success… I might change my mind."

"What do you mean?"

"When I asked you to become friends with the newer members in your class, I didn't expect you to start with Uchiha Itachi." He chuckled to himself. "It's quite impressive."

Kimi blinked, taken aback. After teaching her to use chakra to sense emotions, Inoichi had asked her to practice by making friends. He'd hinted that contacts were useful in the intelligence community, something that Kimi had already known.

"I… I didn't become friends with Itachi intentionally," she said slowly. "Besides, he rarely eats lunch with us. At most, he'll nod when he sees me. That's not being friends."

"For an Uchiha, it is." His satisfaction grew. "And I know it wasn't intentional. It still counts." He shook his head. "You've lost me money, you know. I bet that you'd approach Hana. You've proved me wrong. Excellent job."

She wasn't sure how to respond to that. But she didn't have to. They had arrived at her house. "Thank you for walking me home, sensei." Her tone was full of polite sarcasm.

"My pleasure, Kimi-chan. Do you mind if I say hello to your father before I leave?" His words were perfectly innocent.

Kimi tried not to react to them. "My dad's not home," she said casually. "He's on a business trip."

"Who's watching you, then?" Inoichi still spoke in that insufferably normal way.

"Asuka-san," replied Kimi. "She's my neighbor."

"Can I talk to her?"

She was quiet. Asuka, in her customary way, had forgotten about her. The old woman had scheduled a trip to the capital in order to visit her daughter. Kimi had been by herself for the past week. For an ordinary kid, it would be neglectful, but Kimi wasn't ordinary. She was a grown woman, if only in her past life.

"She isn't here," she said finally.

Inoichi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? You've been alone?"

"Yes."

He gave her a knowing look. "Well, Kimi-chan, why don't you stay at the Yamanaka's place until your father gets back? It's no inconvenience at all."

"I can take care of myself, sensei. I'm practically a genin." And genins were adults in the eyes of the law. "Anyway, I thought I was emancipated." Legally, she was capable of making her own decisions. The Yamanaka had made sure of that.

"That may be true, but there's no need to be alone." Inoichi smiled. "Kimi-chan, your father will be back in… what, a day or two?"

She gritted her teeth and nodded.

"Then why don't you spend those days with us? Chouza is coming over, and you don't want to miss an Akimichi's feast."

Kimi stared down at her feet. She was tired of eating nothing but rice and stir fry, but… well, it wasn't like she had much of a choice. The relationship Kimi had with the Yamanaka clan was so laughably unequal. And despite everything they'd done do her, Kimi didn't want to lose their support.

"Fine."

* * *

Kimi had never seen the Yamanaka's dining room before. She'd eaten at their house, sure, but never so formally. Their ornate table was made of dark wood that thrummed with chakra. Though she looked, Kimi couldn't see any seams; the table seemed to be made from one piece of wood.

"A gift from the Shodaime." Inoichi followed her gaze. "According to my father, he was always fond of giving woodwork as gifts."

She responded with just a nod.

"Ah, Inoichi!" Arms full of pots and pans, Chouza strode into the dining room. Shikaku followed him, also carrying a variety of bowls. "I was wondering if you'd be late to your own dinner party!"

"No, no. I was just picking up a guest." Inoichi winked at Kimi, who stared back, unimpressed.

"Kimi-chan!" said Chouza, grinning. "Good to see you again!"

Shikaku gave a heavy sigh. "What he said."

Kimi gave a polite smile. "Likewise."

She sat at the table, determined not to enjoy herself. But though she was irritated, Kimi was also hungry and lonely. Despite her best efforts, she wound up appreciating the company and the delicious food.

"Do you remember that one time Inoichi tried to… tried to…" Chouza was laughing so hard that he couldn't speak.

"Hook up with Tsunade-sama?" finished Shikaku, chuckling along.

To Kimi's surprise (and vindictive delight), Inoichi actually blushed. "You promised to never speak of it!"

Chouza pounded his fist against the table, almost hysterical. "Are you kidding? It's the best story in the world! We have to tell her!"

Shikaku sipped at his sake, trying to regain his composure. "You see, Kimi-chan, Inoichi was about fourteen or so."

"And he had the biggest crush on Tsunade-sama," continued Chouza. "He'd follow her around like an obsessed puppy. It was great!"

"One day, he got really drunk and decided to ask her out. It was in the middle of the Second Great War, you see." Shikaku's grin grew wide enough to stretch his scars. "And we were stationed under Tsunade-sama."

Inoichi was determinedly avoiding his friends' faces. Instead, he studied his plate like it held the secrets of the universe.

"And then what happened?" asked Kimi, playing along.

"He just—just waltzed up to Tsunade-sama." Chouza was gasping now. "And told her," he snorted, trying so very hard to hold back his guffaws, " 'Hey, I bet we'd make the most beautiful blond babies!' "

Kimi burst into laughter along with Shikaku and Chouza. "You've got to be kidding me!" she said between her giggles. "How drunk was he? And how is he still alive?"

Inoichi had given up all pretences. Now a bright red, he was holding his head in hands. "Did you have to tell her? Now I've lost all her respect!"

"Who said you had any at all?" she retorted, a sly grin on her face.

"Kimi-chan's got you there!" Chouza snickered. "Poor Inoichi. I sometimes wonder if Tsunade actually—" He glanced at Kimi, suddenly sheepish. "Never mind."

She rolled her eyes. _Trust me, I've heard more dirty jokes than you'd think. It's hilarious how they try to censor themselves around me._

Inoichi glared. "You're not the only one with blackmail material!" He then smiled, sharper than a kunai. "Has Shikaku ever told you the story of why he hates ramen?"

* * *

After the embarrassing stories and delicious food, Inoichi pulled out a pack of hanafuda cards. "Though playing shogi is an exercise in futility, when it comes to cards, it becomes more even," he said with a smirk.

Shikaku scoffed. "What Inoichi means to say is that I always win at the strategic card games, while he always wins at the psychological ones."

"And I always lose." Chouza sighed. "Oh, well. The things I do for my friends."

"How does a game of koi-koi sound?" Inoichi shuffled, adding unnecessary flourishes. "I'll be dealer."

"You'll have to teach me how to play." Kimi looked at the colorful deck with interest._ I haven't seen cards like those before. It's beautiful._ On its face, each card had delicate, hand-painted flowers and animals.

"Don't worry. It's a fairly simple game." Inoichi quickly explained the rules. From what Kimi could tell, it was like a mix of blackjack, go fish, and poker.

"I think I get it." Kimi glanced at the cards, feeling nostalgic. She hadn't played a card game since her reincarnation, though she'd always been decent at them.

"Great!" Inoichi began dealing. "Let's start."

* * *

Chouza slapped down the Sakura and Chrysanthemum cards.

"Tsukimi-zake!" he crowed. One of the more interesting parts of the game were the names of the combinations. Chouza's combo, for example, translated to 'the Sakura Curtain and the Sake Cup.'

Fighting back a smile, Kimi glanced at her own cards. Inoichi and Shikaku had to go before her turn, but she could wait.

"Did you hear about the meeting?" said Inoichi blandly, flicking through his cards.

"Which one?" Shikaku's eyebrow was twitching.

"The one between the heads of the Aburame, Hyuuga, and Inuzuka clan."

Chouza set down his bag of chips. "What? Is this some sort of joke? There's no way the Hyuuga would meet with the Inuzuka. It's like chocolate and soy sauce!"

"I'm not lying." Inoichi spread apart his hands. "Though this is all rumor, of course…"

Shikaku rolled his eyes. "Your rumors are practically fact."

"Though this is a rumor," Inoichi repeated, "I heard that they gathered to discuss an alliance. About a certain council."

_Well, of course._ Kimi thought back to the Rookie Twelve. _All three of those clans got their heirs on the same team. They had to start their alliance at some time._

"You know," said Shikaku thoughtfully, "it's not so outlandish. All three of them work as trackers and scouters. Their interests are fairly aligned." He placed a card down, matching two plum blossom cards.

"And having an alliance could work as a counterbalance to… other groups." Inoichi frowned. "Pass."

"Yes," agreed Kimi. "Other groups." She kept her face carefully blank as she placed down her cards. "And Ino-Shika-Cho."

Startled, the three members of the trio stared at her and then her cards. Kimi smiled back, displaying her best 'innocent' expression. _This couldn't be any more perfect. It's not my fault that they're named after a card combination._

Shikaku let out a bark of laughter. "Well played."

"Yes." Inoichi smiled, slow and satisfied. "Well played, indeed."

* * *

Ino's first birthday was a grand celebration. All the clan heads were invited to the celebration, and all their children were also invited. Normally, Konoha wasn't big on birthdays. Only the first one was given any significance. And for Ino, the first was extra important, as it was when her status as clan heiress was declared. That aside, only promotions or graduations necessitated gifts.

Of course, this was all moot, as Kimi wasn't invited to the party. However, Kimi was invited to the private gathering that followed. It consisted Inoichi's close friends and family. In other words, Shikaku, Chouza, and their respective families. Kimi didn't know whether she should be flattered or insulted.

She glanced at the pile of gifts, each carefully labelled and arranged. Practically all of them were related to being a ninja. Half of them were training weapons and tools, while the other half were training books. Kimi's own gift looked massively out of place, which was her intention.

"Ino-chan!" called out Kimi. "Happy birthday!" The little, blonde toddler turned around and squealed.

"Kibi-nee!" Ino ran over to her, stumbling over her long kimono. "Kibi!"

Kimi laughed and hugged the adorable girl. Ino was an absolute darling and an absolute brat. Kimi babysat the troublesome heiress frequently, and Kimi was never sure if she should be exasperated or amused by Ino's antics.

"I have a gift for you, Ino-chan."

"Gifts!" Ino gasped and jumped in excitement. "More!"

Kimi pulled out the pink, stuffed pig from behind her back. "Ta-da!"

"Oink oink!" shrieked Ino. She grabbed the toy from Kimi's hands. "Oink!" Ino clutched the toy and beamed. "Thank!" She toddled away, shouting 'Oink!' at random intervals. Shikamaru, who was napping on Chouji's shoulder, seemed very perturbed by this new change. Kimi smirked as Ino literally rubbed her new toy in his face.

"A stuffed pig, huh?"

Kimi froze, barely stopping herself from yelping in surprise. "Shikaku-sama," she said weakly. "It's nice to see you again."

"Same." He tilted his head. The scars on his face stretched with his grin. "You owe me a shogi match."

She recovered her composure. "Well, I'm flattered that you wish to play a match." Kimi pouted. "But with my graduation coming so soon, I'm afraid that I won't be able to."

Shikaku chuckled. "Nonsense. What made you pick a stuffed toy for Ino?"

His non-sequitur didn't faze her. "I thought she'd like it." She stared at him, daring Shikaku to continue the conversation.

"You must be well-versed in her interests, being her babysitter and all." He yawned, covering his mouth just in time. "Feel like babysitting Shikamaru anytime? Been needing someone."

Kimi almost rolled her eyes at the blatant ploy. "Well, I'm flattered that you wish for me to babysit Shikamaru," she repeated with no hint of irony. "But with my graduation coming so soon, I'm afraid that I won't be able—"

"I'll pay you."

Kimi paused. She scanned Shikaku's face; the older man looked dead serious. "Pay me in what?"

He smirked. "You've been spending too much time with Inoichi." Shikaku leaned forward. "Tell you what. Babysit Shikamaru for me, and I'll make him teach you genjutsu."

"I'll think about it." This time, Kimi actually rolled her eyes._ That's a terrible bargain. Inoichi's going to teach me genjutsu anyway, and Shikaku gets far more out of the deal. Not only does he get a free babysitter and someone to play shogi with, he'd also get to observe me in detail._ She frowned in realization. _So Inoichi _does _keep Shikaku updated about my training..._

"You drive a hard bargain," he mused.

"I learned from the best."

To her surprise, Shikaku grinned. "I know you did."

* * *

As usual, Kimi was one of the last ones out of the classroom. Daikaku-sensei had concocted some excuse to give her extra work, and though she had finished it quickly, Kimi was still ten minutes late. Her luck only continued. For the second time that month, she ran into someone waiting outside the Academy.

"Hey, do you know where Itachi is? Uchiha Itachi?" A tall teen waved at Kimi. She stepped back, examining him with a critical eye. With dark hair, eyes, and clothing, he appeared like an Uchiha. The embroidered fan on his shirt confirmed her suspicions.

"He's still inside." Kimi frowned. "Daikoku-sensei wanted to talk to him." While Daikoku was rather suspicious of her, the teacher was nothing less than sycophantic towards Itachi.

The Uchiha grinned back at her in a very un-Uchiha manner. "That guy, huh? Yeah, Itachi's told me about him. He seems like a pain." He scrutinized her. "I think he's told me about you. You're Kimi, right?"

She bowed. "Yes. I'm Mita Kimi. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Shisui. Uchiha Shisui, Itachi's cousin." He leaned against the gate, his posture casual and deceptive. "You're a civvie kid, aren't you?"

She tugged at her backpack, suddenly nervous. Shisui had committed suicide for the village, hadn't he? And Danzo had stolen his eye. "Yes. If you'll excuse—"

"Itachi!" shouted Shisui, startling her. "Over here!"

Kimi flinched and pressed her back against an old oak tree. She hadn't even noticed Itachi's approach. The Uchiha heir had already made it to the gates. The young boy hurried over to them, his eyes brighter than Kimi had seen before.

"Shisui-nii," said Itachi, a hint of a smile on his face. He ducked his head as Shisui ruffled his hair. Itachi turned to Kimi and inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Kimi-san."

"I've been chatting with your friend, here." Shisui's eyes became mischievous. "Why didn't you tell me you liked older women? I wouldn't have tried to set you up with Izumi-chan if you'd told me."

Itachi gave his cousin a blank look. Kimi, on the other hand, almost laughed at Shisui's ploy.

_Really?_ she thought, amused. _That's how you decided to test me? I can think of a thousand more effective ways to gauge my character and my intentions for Itachi._ Unfortunately for Shisui, Kimi had gone through Inoichi's constant prodding and evaluations. His attempt felt downright childish, and it was even easier to defuse.

"Why, Shisui-san," she purred, deepening her voice and making it huskier, "I didn't know you were interested. If you ask nicely, I might let you join us." Unlike her classmates, she had gone through puberty once before—Kimi had experience with flirting and the adult side of life.

But adult or not, the gobsmacked expression on Shisui's face was absolutely priceless.

Kimi began laughing so hard that she had to clutch the tree trunk for support. "Sorry," she gasped in between laughs. "You just made it so easy!" Kimi wiped away the tears in her eyes and sighed.

Itachi's sharingan had been activated during her little act, and the younger Uchiha seemed torn between amusement and exasperation. But Shisui looked at her with something resembling interest, and Kimi felt very stupid for attracting his attention. The games Inoichi played with her were entirely different from the toxic village politics that these two children were entangled in.

"You got me good," Shisui said ruefully. "I think I deserved that." He crossed his arms, appearance still cheerful. "Hey, Itachi, didn't you say that Kimi-chan scored higher than you on a written test?"

"All the written tests," corrected Itachi. "Before she decided not to score so highly anymore."

"But my practical scores are absolutely miserable." Trying not to tense up, Kimi laughed and rubbed her neck. "Itachi could beat me blindfolded and with both arms tied. And he's much smarter than I am. I just got lucky." _Which is true. Itachi's a certified genius. At his age, I was chewing my hair and eating dirt._

Shisui seemed unconvinced. "Sure, sure." He clasped Itachi on the shoulder and grinned. "Hey, Kimi-chan, me and Itachi were going to grab some dango. Feel like joining us?"

Kimi glanced at Itachi, whose face had become emotionless. "I don't want to impose." _I'm not about to butt in on the small amount of time Itachi spends with his cousin._ "Besides, I have to get home."

"That's alright!" Much too blithely to be natural, Shisui waved aside her concerns. "I can send a summon to let your parents know. The dango shack's really great! We've been going to it since forever."

While Shisui chattered on, Kimi mouthed an apology to Itachi. He shook his head slightly, dismissing her apology and giving one of his own. Kimi saw Shisui's eyes flicker to both of their faces; he'd clearly noticed the exchange, but he didn't comment on it.

Kimi decided to give in. As usual, she was probably being too paranoid. Nothing would come out of a simple lunch meeting. And based on Itachi's reaction, he didn't seem too bothered by her presence. Besides, she could use the opportunity to learn more about the Uchiha.

"Fine, I'll come."

"Great!" In one smooth, practiced movement, Shisui nicked his thumb and pressed it onto the ground. One burst of smoke later, a crow appeared. "Where should I send Fuhei?"

"My parents aren't here." _And I don't think Inoichi will care if I'm a little late._ She gave an apologetic frown. "Sorry for making you expend all that chakra."

"It's no problem!" Shisui said, waving his hands in dismissal. His summon didn't seem to agree; it let an annoyed croak before dismissing itself.

"Do not worry, Kimi-chan." Itachi raised his eyebrows slightly. "My cousin was looking for an excuse to demonstrate his aptitude at summoning."

"Hey, you brat! I take back what I said about sharing the contract!"

Kimi giggled at Shisui's put-upon expression, playing along with his act. The faint bags under his eyes, the irregular way his hands twitched, and the bandaged arm revealed that he wasn't nearly as energetic as he appeared. His piercing eyes rested upon her sporadically; he was assessing her potential to be a threat.

Still, she was impressed. Hardly any ninja in the show had summoning contracts. The Academy had stressed how dangerous it was to obtain them, and they were usually tied to clans or the few legendary ninja. _Considering that the Uchiha aren't known for their crows, I'm assuming that it's a personal contract._

"I'll lead the way!" announced Shisui. "Don't worry. It's not far."

* * *

Shisui was right; it hardly took five minutes to arrive at the tiny shack. The three squeezed inside a cramped booth, Shisui and Itachi on one side, Kimi on the other. The owner, a grizzled woman with a scar over her lips, grunted and slammed down three plates of dango.

"We don't actually get a choice," the older Uchiha explained. "Nao-san only makes one kind of dango a day. It's always delicious, though."

As they munched on the exceedingly good sweets, Shisui began the story of his last mission. Kimi was drawn into his vivid tale of an escort mission to Suna, but she wasn't engrossed enough to miss the hand signs that he was flashing under the table.

It wasn't one of the three standard forms taught by the Academy. Thankfully, Inoichi had made her memorize all of Konoha's sign languages from its conception, just in case. Shisui was using a variant from the First Shinobi War.

_Suspected motive?_ he gestured, still continuing the story.

Almost too fast for Kimi to see, Itachi answered, _Undetermined_. He glanced at her, eyes turning red. Kimi ignored him and kept up her interested facade.

"There is no point in signing." Itachi set the empty skewer on his plate. "Kimi-san understands it."

Shisui blinked. "Eh? Really?"

Kimi opened her mouth to deny it, but she thought better of it. _Really, Itachi is incredible. He may be seven, but that's no reason to underestimate him._ She chuckled to herself._ Kids these days. He saw right through me._

"Yes," she admitted. _Motive benign_, she signed to them.

Shisui slowly shook his head. "You're pretty interesting, you know?" He abruptly got up from his seat. "We should meet again sometime. Itachi and I need to go train." Shisui dragged Itachi from the booth and took off. "Bye, Kimi-chan!" he shouted, waving as they left. "I'll see you soon!"

Kimi rolled her eyes at the teen's antics. She wasn't sure how much was calculated and how much was genuine. As she finished up the last piece of dango, a thought came into her mind.

_Wait… did I get left with the bill?_

* * *

Volunteering at the hospital without Dr. Nohara was a strange experience. The nurses knew her fairly well, but without the doctor to vouch for her, Kimi was stuck healing paper-cuts and changing blankets.

Kimi adjusted the unconscious patient's IV and sighed. Closing her eyes for just a moment, she sat on the folding chair and rested her head in her hands. _Today's been a long week…_

The sound of wheels jerked her awake. Kimi rubbed her forehead and blinked.

"Oh! S-Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you!" said a young voice.

She looked at the newcomer and was instantly alert. With silver hair and round glasses, the boy could only be one person—Kabuto. Time seemed to slow as Kimi took in every detail. With chubby cheeks and a cheerful expression, Kabuto almost had her fooled. But she'd noticed that wary gleam in his eyes, the way his fingers had moved towards his hip. It had disappeared immediately after, and Kimi had no doubt he'd fix those tells in time, but it was a reminder of just how dangerous he would become.

First Shisui, and now Kabuto. Was it just a coincidence that she'd met two of Danzo's 'underlings'?

"It's not your fault," she replied with a yawn, trying to pass her brief silence as grogginess. "It's my fault for dozing on the job."

He laughed, so perfectly and so casually that Kimi despaired at how polished the kid's actions were. "It can get boring, sometimes. I don't blame you!" Kabuto pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled. "I'm Kabuto. You're Kimi, aren't you? The other kid who volunteers the hospital. I've heard about you from the nurses and Mizuki."

Kimi tilted back in shock. Her instincts and memories were screaming at her to get out. She silenced them and made her voice friendly. "You know Mizuki-kun?"

"He lives at the orphanage with me." The smile faded. "Mizuki's new, and he's having a hard time adjusting. But he's doing better, though!" he added hastily. Kabuto paused long enough for the silence to become uncomfortable. "So, uh, you go to the Academy, right?"

"Yeah."_ So that's how Mizuki got involved with Orochimaru. Kabuto probably acted as Orochimaru's scout._ "Do you go to the Academy, too?"

"I do! I'm in the class under you, I think." He gave a half-hearted shrug. "Though I'm not very good at anything but the medical stuff. But I want to be a med-nin, so I guess it works out!" Kabuto laughed again. "How about you? You work with Dr. Nohara, don't you? At least, before she left to have children." He began pulling the blankets from the cart. His hands were bandaged all the way to the fingertips, probably to prevent fingerprints. "I'm a little jealous. She's a really great doctor."

"She is." Kimi helped him stock the closet, taking the blankets and putting them on the shelves. "And she's incredibly kind and caring, too. Too bad she had to take a leave of absence."_ Konoha and their obsession with bloodlines..._

He made a sympathetic noise. "But I understand why she wanted to. After all, Dr. Nohara is the last of her clan."

"Yeah, but it would've been easier to—" Kimi froze mid-sentence._ Holy shit. Does Konoha even have egg banks? Or even sperm banks, for that matter?_ The pieces fell together all at once._ No… I don't think they do. I work in the hospital, and no one's even mentioned them before. And all this worry about dying bloodlines wouldn't exist if they had a way to store genetic information._

"Kimi-san?" asked Kabuto, voice colored with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Ah… I'm just tired. I think I've been working too hard, that's all. I'm going to call it a day." With a mumbled excuse, Kimi brushed past Kabuto and rushed down the hall, her thoughts spinning like pinwheels.

_Despite its ridiculous advancements in some parts of medicine, what this world lacks is understanding. Everything is rote-memorization or blind guesswork. In some ways, chakra has stunted their progress._ A horrifying thought made Kimi stop in the middle of the doorway. Of course there isn't any genetic bank. Or else Danzo would have taken advantage of it ages ago! If Danzo or Orochimaru had access to proper germ cells…

She shuddered, vowing to stay as far away from those two as humanly possible. After all, her knowledge of the plot wasn't the only dangerous information she had.

* * *

Arms crossed, with an expression blank enough to rival any Hyuuga, Inoichi examined her posture and frowned.

"When you're disguised as a boy, make sure to take longer strides. Men extend the knee, while women move from their hips. Also, don't keep your feet so close together."

Kimi adjusted her gait and continued walking with the male henge. She felt rather like a penguin, waddling across the room.

"Better," said Inoichi. "But keep practicing. It needs to look natural. Dismiss the henge."

She pressed her hands together and released the illusion of a male body.

"Henge into an adult female, please. A civilian."

After a second of deliberation, Kimi decided to borrow the hospital receptionist's appearance. She flashed through the hand-signs and extended the chakra around her. Illusionary henges required less chakra, but any physical contact broke the mirage.

"Good. Walk from one wall to another."

Kimi closed her eyes and pictured her old self walking down the hallway. She relaxed her shoulders, bent slightly forward, and took short, casual steps. Imitating civilians came easiest for her—her mind adjusted, but it never forgot how she used to be. She paced back and forth and stopped in front of Inoichi.

"Well done. Release it."

Kimi sighed, letting the chakra disperse. Her reserves were a little on the small side, and after the Academy, two hours of non-stop henge pushed her to the limit. And Inoichi was a perfectionist; he insisted that every one of her transformations be flawless. He usually made her drill voices, positions, and the standard henge until she had fulfilled his expectations.

Now, however, Inoichi was looking at her with a deep-seated sense of satisfaction, the kind that only came from an old plan coming into fruition.

"Good," he said again. "Very good." Inoichi smiled at her. "I'm proud of you, Kimi-chan. Enjoy the rest of the day. You deserve a break."

He did have plans for her. But Kimi hadn't the slightest clue what they could be. With a sinking feeling, she acknowledged that she couldn't ignore it anymore. Kimi would have to solidify her relationship with the Yamanaka clan.

"Thanks, sensei. I'll see you later."

First, research. Kimi had learned her lesson already—never again would she deal with the Yamanaka while being unprepared.

* * *

She walked into the Inoichi's study, armed with nothing but a single sheet of paper.

"Kimi-chan," he greeted, setting aside his paperwork. "What brings you here? Is there something you need?"

"I need to talk to you." Though the irony wasn't lost on her, Kimi drew on the Yamanaka's instructions on negotiating. Chin up, expression clear, confident but open. "It's about my graduation."

"I suspected as much." He motioned to a chair. "Sit down, and we'll talk."

Kimi pulled up the awkward, metal chair. The edges dug into her shoulder, and it was likely made uncomfortable on purpose. "Thanks."

For a minute, the two examined each other in silence, Inoichi with an amused tilt of his eyebrow, and Kimi with nervous energy. Finally, Inoichi decided to humor her and speak first.

"What is it you wanted to talk about?"

She glanced at her paper. This is either going to work or backfire spectacularly. Kimi counted to ten, exhaled, and felt the tension drain out of her. Displaying surety she was only beginning to feel, Kimi spoke.

"Last week, I finished paperwork needed to join the med-corps after graduation. And I know Dr. Nohara requested me to be her apprentice once I become a genin. But that isn't going to happen, is it?"

Expression unchanged, Inoichi shook his head slightly.

"I know you're preparing me for Intel." She kept her eyes steady. "And I'll do what you want wholeheartedly… but with certain conditions. Four, to be exact."

The Yamanaka heir leaned back. "Do tell."

"First, I want you to teach me advanced genjutsu. Or if you can't do that, find me a teacher who can." Like it or not, senbon and medical ninjutsu weren't going to keep her safe forever and Genjutsu was the least lethal. It also needed a teacher to be learned correctly; there was too much potential for disaster if learned unsupervised.

"Go on."

"Second, I will continue working at the hospital. If not as part as the med-corps, then as a volunteer. I need to continue my medical training." She loved working there too much to let it go. "Third, keep me in the loop. I want to know what's going on. If it involves me, let me know." Kimi was finished with stumbling in the dark, seizing the morsels of information Inoichi deigned to toss on the floor. If she was getting involved in their convoluted politics, she was going to be prepared.

He chuckled. "A little vague, don't you think? And knowledge is—"

"Power," completed Kimi. "Which is why I asked. I'm tired of operating blindly. I can't work with you while knowing nothing."

Inoichi gestured with his hand for her to proceed. "Your last demand?"

"Finally, I want you to help my friends."

Now, she got an actual reaction from him. Inoichi sat up and looked at her, half-frowning. "What do you mean?"

"Umino Iruka, Uzuki Yugao, Jujiro Mizuki, and Ito Tsubaki." She tapped her fingers against his desk. "I remember you telling me that clan kids get priority for assignments, whether it be in teams or in the various corps. I'm not asking you to apprentice my friends to the Hokage, but I'd rather not have them on the metaphorical front lines."

Kimi tried to keep her breath steady. The last condition was the riskiest and the most dangerous. Her entire scheme hinged on him accepting it.

Inoichi stayed silent for several minutes. Kimi took every ounce of self-control she had to remain still. Silence is the greatest tool in conversations.

He chucked softly. "You never fail to impress me, Kimi."

Caught off guard, she blinked at the compliment and the lack of honorific. "Thank you."

Inoichi steepled his fingers. "I see your plan. It's well-thought out, too. But I believe you've made a miscalculation." He deliberated, expression exaggerated and thoughtful. "What makes you think I have the power to determine team assignments? That's the Hokage's purview."

Her response was immediate. "Really, Inoichi-sensei?" She scoffed in derision, surprised that he'd asked such a silly question. _He must be underestimating me._ "I know that Intel sends their recommendations for team assignments. You told me yourself."

"And what if I refuse?"

The incredulity and confidence she'd been feeling drained away. Kimi clasped her hands together, trying not to let her apprehension show.

"What do you mean?" She shrugged. "If you refuse, we proceed as we did before."

His smile turned mocking. "Oh, no. Why would I do that? You've given me information freely, information that I can use as leverage. I know what you want, and you haven't learned anything about my desires. Our relationship is now unequal."

_Not that it was equal before_, she thought sardonically. "I haven't told you anything you don't already know." Kimi wet her lips and met his eyes.

Pupil-less, blue, and unreadable, his eyes stared back. "Is that so?" Inoichi's voice was a soft, almost tender. "You've told me a great deal about your friends and how much you value them."

His words were like a bucket of ice water. "You wouldn't," she whispered. _Inoichi wouldn't use the kids as leverage. He can't._ Her heart rate increased, and she could feel the blood pound in her ears. "You wouldn't." Her breathing became short and shallow.

He was silent for several small minutes. Kimi held her breath to keep her lungs from collapsing under her heightened, fearful panic.

"I wouldn't," he said finally, sounding tired and almost sad. "You're right. What you told me was nothing new." With a sigh, Inoichi ran his hands through his hair. "Kimi-chan, I'm not your enemy."

_Sometimes, you act like one_. Kimi kept her face blank as she exhaled.

Inoichi must have guessed her thoughts anyway. He half-laughed and shook his head. "I'm not going to belittle you by saying you can trust me. I know you don't. Besides, trust is something earned. I haven't done much to earn it, and that wasn't my intention in the first place."

"May I ask about your intentions?" Her words were detached and formal.

"I'm trying to prepare you." He glanced at the stack of paperwork before holding her gaze. "Kimi-chan, there are others outside," a slight hesitation, "and even inside the village that don't have your best interests. I want you to be able to face them, and even more importantly, win."

She stared at the clan insignia on his shoulder, refusing to meet his eyes. "Why? Why are you looking out for me?" _What am I missing? What do they want from me?_ Kimi studied her hands and swallowed. The lump in her throat wasn't going away.

Inoichi reached over and took her piece of paper. Kimi didn't protest. She'd already verbalized everything on it. After scanning it over, Inoichi grabbed a pen and began writing.

"I have a few conditions of my own," he said. "Once you graduate, I will begin teaching you higher-level genjutsu. I won't control what you do in your free time, Kimi-chan. You're welcome to volunteer at the hospital whenever you want. As for your third condition…" He paused in his writing. "I cannot tell you everything, especially when the village is at stake. But I will make an effort to keep you better informed."

Kimi said nothing. The third condition was moot, now. She doubted he would tell her anything new.

"And I will help your friends."

Startled, she looked back at him.

Inoichi gave a wry smile. "It's admirable how you care for them. I'm glad you have a group of friends you can fall back on."

"You'll help them?" Despite her best efforts, Kimi couldn't keep the shock from her voice.

"Of course. I'm not heartless. Why would I punish you?" He reached into his desk and pulled out a seal and a container of ink. "Besides, it should help fix a problem of my own."

"Which is?" She didn't expect a real answer, which made Inoichi's response even more surprising.

"Shikaku's position and my own are being questioned." He began writing on a different, more expensive sheet of parchment. "Whenever there's a new Hokage, it's expected that they replace the upper ranks with people loyal to them. But the Yondaime's dead. It wasn't a problem before, but now our youth and inexperience are being called into question."

She nodded slowly. Inoichi coated the Yamanaka seal with ink and stamped it onto the parchment.

"There," he said. "It's done."

Kimi felt a pressure lift from her shoulders. "Thank you, sensei."

Inoichi rolled the scroll. "Oh, one more thing. Can you babysit for Chouji, Shikamaru, and Ino this weekend?"

After the wringer he'd put her through, his simple request made Kimi feel like laughing. "Of course, sensei. It'll be my pleasure."

* * *

After a brutal physical exam, a anti-climatic written exam, and a brief demonstration of the jutsu the Academy had taught, Kimi graduated to genin.

"Congratulations," said Daikoku, handing her the hitai-ate. With an odd sense of loss, Kimi bowed and took the navy headband from him. It was heavier than it looked.

"I look forward to seeing you prosper in the future, Kimi-chan." Daikoku was smiling at her, but his eyes were solemn. "I know that you are capable."

She bowed again. "Thank you."

Kimi left the room, hitai-ate in hand. She rubbed her thumb over the dull metal plate, tracing the spiral that marked her allegiance to Konoha. _This is it. I'm a ninja, now. I'm officially part of a military dictatorship._ Kimi wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry.

Yugao then slammed into her, depriving her of her choice. "Kimi-chan!" she yelled. "You passed! I knew you would!"

"Thanks, Yugao-chan!" Kimi enveloped the purple-headed girl in a tight hug. "I see that you passed, too! Congrats!" Yugao had proudly worn the headband on her forehead.

Iruka and Mizuki were also waiting in the hallway. They exclaimed their congratulations, giving her a brief hug (in Iruka's case) and an awkward pat on the shoulder (from Mizuki). They were wearing their hitai-ate in the standard position, just like Yugao. Tsubaki was still inside, taking the exam.

"Come on, Kimi-chan! Put it on!" said Iruka, practically bouncing.

Well, she couldn't refuse now. Slowly, Kimi tied it around her forehead.

"Looks good," commented Mizuki.

"Mizuki's right, for once." Yugao poked the aforementioned boy in the shoulder and beamed. "You look great! Do you plan on wearing it like that?"

Kimi shrugged. _I'm not sure I want it on my forehead... maybe around my neck?_ "I'll think about it."

"Well, I'm wearing mine like this," declared Iruka.

"I'm thinking about a bandana." Mizuki tugged on his headband. "They look better."

"So, so, what are the plans, now that we graduated?" Yugao looked ready to explode with excitement. "I've asked every kenjutsu master in Konoha for an apprenticeship! I hope one of them accepts!" She hesitated. "That is, if I don't get on a team."

Mizuki scoffed. "I doubt I'll get on a team. I'm just a civvie."

"Don't say that!" exclaimed Iruka. "You're better than half the clan kids. I'm know the teachers will be fair. They definitely noticed you."

The conversation died when Itachi approached, also wearing a hitai-ate. "Congratulations," he murmured to each of them. He looked at Kimi for a second before moving onwards. _He looks somber_, thought Kimi with a hint of regret. _I think he's the only one who knows what this means. Oh, Itachi. You're such a martyr._

After a moment of deliberation, she signed to him:_ stay strong._

He flicked a response:_ seen and followed._

Yugao was the only one who noticed what had happened, but even she didn't know the hand-signs from the Second Shinobi War. Yugao seemed curious, but she stayed silent.

"He'll get a team for sure," Mizuki muttered, sounding bitter. Out of all the kids, Mizuki was the least friendly with Itachi. "Either that or an apprenticeship with an elite jounin."

"Be nice!" scolded Yugao. "Once Tsubaki gets here, let's go celebrate and get mochi!"

The effect was immediate. The trio began chatting about their favorite flavors, and the mood turned celebratory again. Kimi played along, but her heart was heavy.

After all, a new generation of children had lost their childhood.

* * *

With her hitai-ate still in place, Kimi returned to the small apartment, intent on grabbing a few books to take back to the Yamanaka's compound. But when she opened the door, Kimi saw her father waiting for her. He looked travel-worn and weary, but his pinched face relaxed into a smile upon seeing her.

"Dad!" she exclaimed. "You're home early!" Kimi hadn't expected him back for several more days. She wrapped her arms around his dusty, sweaty self.

He patted her on the back and held her tightly. "Oh, Kimi," he whispered. "I've missed you." Sighing, her father smoothed back her hair. "I didn't want to miss your graduation. But it seems that I was a little late." He tapped her hitai-ate and gave her a weak grin. "Congratulations."

Kimi said nothing, preferring to rest her head on his shoulder. She'd enjoyed her few weeks of independence, but she'd sorely missed her father's presence.

"I have a gift for you," said her father, finally drawing back. "I saw it in the capital. It's the new fashion, you know?" He fished into his pockets and pulled out a small case. "I had it sanded, so it isn't as shiny. Now, now that you're a ninja, I didn't think you wanted to, uh, reflect your presence."

Kimi opened the tiny box—inside was a rectangular, gold barrette.

"It's beautiful." She picked it up, admiring it in the light.

"You're supposed to wear it on the side. Do… do you want me to put it in your hair?" Her father tapped his foot against the floor and fidgeted, looking off to the side.

"I'd love that."

Carefully, with fumbling fingers, he took the barrette and pushed it through her hair. After a moment of difficulty, he pressed the clasp into place. "I used to do this for your mother, you know," he said softly. "She always had trouble with her getting them to stay in place."

Kimi stepped back. "You're leaving again, aren't you?" She could hear the guilt soaking into his words.

Her father eased himself into a chair. "I am. I'm sorry, Kimi. They needed a merchant to go on a trip to the Land of Lightning. It's really important." He looked away. "The caravan leaves in two days."

"Do you have to go?"

He paused for a moment too long. "I do. I really am sorry."

_Lie._

She closed her eyes. "It's alright."

Kimi had suspected that his long trips weren't wholly necessary, but suspecting and knowing were entirely different. Her father had become more and more distant, pulling her close for brief moments before pushing her away.

He was her dad. She'd always love him. And Kimi knew that he loved her.

But that wasn't enough. A family required more than just love.

"I'm going to the Yamanaka compound," she said distantly. "Thank you for the gift. Enjoy your trip."

Kimi walked out, books forgotten. Her father said something before she closed the door, but she didn't listen. The small apartment had ceased to be her home.

* * *

In the lilac guest room, Kimi stared at Buzama. The ugly cat figurine stared back, mocking her with its twisted face. Besides her coded journals, she'd moved most of her personal items into this room. Kimi hadn't noticed how empty the apartment had been until now.

There was a knock at the door. From the chakra signature, Kimi knew it was Inoichi.

"Come in," she said without moving from the bed.

"Congratulations, Kimi-chan."

She didn't respond. Kimi edged closer to the bauble, noting the odd mark on its cheek. She picked up Buzama and rubbed at the blemish before realizing it was a scratch.

"That's an interesting cat." The bed shifted slightly when Inoichi sat down beside her.

Kimi set the figurine down before facing her teacher. Inoichi was holding several packages, but his focus was entirely on Buzama.

"I know." She pushed the cat behind the repaired vase, hiding it from view. It was the same pottery piece that Kimi had broken. The cracks had been filled with gold dust, almost as if a shimmering spider web had been cast over the vase.

Inoichi looked at her, a frown tugging at the corner of his lips. Then, his expression became cheerful. "Well, I have a certain something for you."

_Joy. More celebrating. That's just what I need._ She gave an unenthusiastic shrug. "Oh?"

He handed her a neatly wrapped packet. "This one's from my father."

Inobu-sama, the shadowy leader of the Yamanaka, had gotten her a gift? She frowned at the package._ I don't think I've seen him since the day I signed that contract. Why in the world did he get me something?_

Curious, Kimi opened it. Inside where two wrist guards, plated with metal on the outside. Black, utilitarian, and exceedingly high-quality, they looked to be custom-made. She slipped them on and moved her hands. They were so light and comfortable that they felt nonexistent.

"The metal is chakra-conducive. You can channel any sort of chakra to reinforce them," added Inoichi.

"I appreciate it," she said blandly. "Give your father my thanks."

_I'm not about to refuse something so expensive. If the Yamanaka want to spend money on me, so be it._

"This one's from me."

Kimi took the smaller parcel. It contained a book simply titled _Poisons_. She flipped open to the chapter and froze. Each page contained annotations in a spindly, delicate handwriting that she hadn't seen in over a year.

"It belonged to Misaki." Inoichi stood. "Use it well." He left the room.

Stunned, Kimi gazed at the page. She closed the book and exhaled.

_It's a dead woman's book about how to kill others_, she thought bitingly. _I shouldn't be so touched._

But somehow, the book felt more valuable than the other gifts combined.

* * *

The Academy's auditorium buzzed with the chatter of the graduating year.

"Hey, where'd do you think you'll end up?" whispered Yugao to Kimi. "A team? The Med Corps, like you wanted?"

Kimi shook her head. "I know who my teacher will be."

"Really? Who?" Iruka butted in. He fidgeted in place, wringing his hands. "I wish I knew what'll happen to me."

Mizuki had a sour expression on his face, but his foot tapped against the floor with a nervous beat. Tsubaki looked rather nauseous, her fingers covering her eyes as she breathed in slowly.

The room fell silent as the Academy Sensei converged to the center of the room. The other class's teacher said a small speech, congratulating them for their success and warning them of the dangers ahead. Finally, she began announcing the teams.

"Team Two: Uchiha Itachi, Inuzuka Hana, and Gekko Hayate. Your jounin-sensei is Sarutobi Shorai."

Itachi, who was sitting with his clanmates, seemed unfazed by his assignment. Hana, on the other hand, was scowling. Her dogs growled beside her. Kimi felt a pang of regret as she looked at the younger girl. Hana had continued to refuse Kimi's tentative gestures of reconciliation. In the end, they'd decided to leave each other alone. Perhaps one day, Hana would forgive their misunderstanding.

"Lucky ducks!" Yugao said from beside her. "They got the Hokage's daughter as their teacher!"

_Konohamaru's mother, then?_ Kimi frowned. _That kid hasn't been born yet, has he?_

Most of the other teams were composed of clan kids that she didn't know well. Kimi stopped paying attention, at least, until the teacher declared the sixth team.

"Team Six: Umino Iruka, Uzuki Yugao, and Jujiro Mizuki. Your jounin-sensei is Nara Shikaku."

Her little group stared at the teacher in shocked silence.

Oh, Kimi thought numbly. So that's what he had planned.

"Holy Sage," muttered Iruka. "We're on a team? With the Jounin Commander?"

Yugao blinked. "Did any of you bribe someone?"

That broke them from their stupor. The three burst into cheers, Mizuki included.

The teacher soon moved on to the apprenticeships. Several genin were to study under various specialists, varying from hunter-nin to poison users. After all, apprenticeships were reserved for the more esoteric fields—and the more talented students.

"Mita Kimiko," the woman said. "Apprenticed to Yamanaka Inoichi. Report to the Intelligence Division tomorrow at eight-hundred."

Kimi hadn't expected anything else.

The rest of the assignments went smoothly. A few Uchiha were designated to the Military Police, some students were sent to the Med Corps or the other branches, and the rest were sent to the Genin Corps. To Tsubaki's excitement, she was assigned to the Sensor Corps.

"We all got exactly what we wanted!" crowed Tsubaki. "The gods must've been watching us!"

Looking at the beaming, enthused faces of the children, Kimi couldn't regret her bargain with Inoichi.

_I changed something for the better._ She glanced at her wrist guards and frowned. _But at what cost?_

* * *

**AN:** Part one is complete. The next part of the story should be around seven to eight chapters, and it will detail the years between now and the start of canon.

The aforementioned collection of side stories, titled _**Between the Spaces**_, has been posted. The first part has snippets from Shikaku's perspective.

Thanks to **MalevolentRace** for being a phenomenal, amazing beta. Special thanks to **highonbroccoli **and **Thomas Drovin** for looking over the chapter. I couldn't have done it without them.

I am always, always grateful for your reviews. Thank you for your patience and support.

The recommendations for this chapter are all the stories by **XxZuiliu**, whose oneshots are excellent. I highly recommend _**Like Pinwheels in the Wind**._


	9. Fulfilling

**Chapter Nine: Fulfilling**

* * *

Konoha deliberately advertised the building location of its Intelligence Division. Well, it advertised the location of one of its buildings. The village did that for the same reason it had gray, military-style uniforms for all its intel operatives—to demonstrate to its citizens that it was a martial dictatorship, first and foremost. (Of course, the higher taxes that the civilians paid was another, more immediate reminder.)

The weight around her neck told Kimi that she was no longer in that category. Instead of being a second-class citizen, she was now a ninja. One of _them_. Kimi didn't feel too different. Hitai-ate aside, even her clothing was remained the same. Perhaps that would change soon, though Kimi wasn't sure if Konoha made child-sized intelligence uniforms.

The front room of the Intelligence Division looked like the entrance to an ordinary office building. A few people milled about, with emotions ranging from boredom to barely contained panic. Only the twitchy civilian man in the wooden chair seemed to react to her arrival. The Yamanaka manning the desk blinked at Kimi, pale-green eyes blank and unconcerned. The downward twitch of her lips told a different story, however.

"State your name and rank, please," drawled the secretary.

"Mita Kimiko," she hesitated slightly, "genin."

The Yamanaka seemed dubious of that (or perhaps life in general), raising a blonde eyebrow as she scribbled something down. "Do you have an appointment?"

That threw Kimi off. Was this the Intelligence Division or the DMV? _Well, I guess bureaucracy is the same everywhere,_ she mused.

"Uh, no, but—"

"If you would like to make an appointment, proceed to the leftmost desk and fill out a request form." The woman began shuffling documents in a dismissive manner. "An operative will review your…" She paused. "Mita Kimiko, was it?" The Yamanaka peered down at a rather crumpled paper. "May I see your ID?"

Kimi pulled out her ninja registration form and card. The secretary skimmed the papers and handed them back.

"Hitai-ate, please," she said.

Kimi untied it from her neck. The woman held it for less than a moment before handing it back.

"Proceed down the hallway to my right." Her tone was one of uninterested dismissal.

Kimi lingered for just a moment before opening the door and proceeding down the long hallway. She scratched her arm and frowned at how uncomfortable the corridor made her. There was nothing on either wall, but there was a black door at the very end. She continued walking, but the door didn't seem to get any closer, though the itch in her coils grew stronger.

She stopped and flared her chakra. The illusion faded away, revealing a much shorter hallway with a significantly more doors.

"Clumsy. And that took much longer than I expected." Inoichi, dressed sharply in his intelligence uniform, frowned in disappointment. Unlike most times, he was also wearing a long black trench coat.

"Sorry, sensei, for not expecting genjutsu on my first day at work." She crossed her arms and fixed him with an unimpressed look.

"A ninja should—"

"—always be prepared?" she finished.

"You know it." Inoichi tapped her head. "Now you need to live it."

She nodded, sighing. "Yeah, yeah."

Shinobi, most wearing the standard gray uniform, acknowledged Inoichi as they passed him in the hallway. Most used some sort of hand signal, though a few murmured greetings. Every so often, a ninja in a navy version of the outfit would stride down the hallway.

"What's with the blue?" Kimi asked, noting the scratches on that ninja's face.

"Different branch." Inoichi's expression didn't change from his default, pleasant smile. "Torture and Interrogation has different uniforms."

She mused it over. The Academy had gone over the structure of Konoha's forces, but they'd been a vague about the organization of the Intelligence department, for obvious reasons. Inoichi had told her more, though not by much.

"Three branches, right? Internal, External, and T&amp;I?" She paused. "I'm guessing that T&amp;I is separate because they work more extensively with the other divisions of Konoha."

"Yes." His smile took a pleased tinge. Inoichi turned left and opened the first door. Kimi followed, blinking as she entered a room that was bigger and brighter than she'd expected. Standing straight and at attention was a scarred ninja in his late teens. His uniform was blue and slightly torn. Beside him, a younger teen—purpled-haired and provocatively attired—lounged against a table, her head lolled back.

"Hey, boss," drawled the girl. "Who's this?"

The other teen grinned, stretching the deep gouges that ran across his face.

Inoichi shifted, giving the two a better look at her. "This is Mita Kimiko, my apprentice. Kimi, these two are Morino Ibiki, deputy head of T&amp;I, and Mitarashi Anko."

Kimi vaguely remembered Ibiki from the show, but she had much clearer memories of Anko. Both were much younger than she'd expected.

Kimi stepped forward and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Her teacher continued, "From time to time, Kimi will be working with T&amp;I and the departments of Internal Intelligence. She'll be starting with you, Ibiki. Do keep her out of trouble."

Ibiki's grin grew wider, though he still stood at straight attention. "Of course."

With that, Inoichi flicked an unfamiliar hand-sign at Ibiki before leaving. Kimi blinked at the abrupt departure before glancing at the two teens. Both seemed entirely unconcerned.

Anko drew a kunai and twirled it around her fingers. "Let's see, here…" She looked Kimi up and down. "Civilian-born, likely, from those clothes and chakra signature. Her build suggests minimal to average taijutsu skills, and the lack of substantial callouses implies a similar skill-range with weapons. Chakra signature, average." She turned to Ibiki. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nothing important," he said, staring straight at Kimi. His smile hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Anko traced small circles on her cheek with her kunai. "Now, Kimi-chan," her voice dripped with artificial sweetness, "who did you fuck to get this job? Your Academy teacher? " She pursed her lips. "Inoichi? He doesn't strike me as a man who'd be interested in a little girl, but you never know."

Kimi bowed again. "I look forward to working with you," she said blankly. _Anko's obviously trying to rile me up, but her malice seems genuine. Is she that good of an actor, or is she actually annoyed by me?_

"Stand down, Anko." Ibiki relaxed his shoulders and adjusted his footing, shifting his body-language to a more neutral one. "Go get Mita-san a uniform. After that, we'll show her _around_."

The emphasis on the last word was strange, but compared to the way Anko was now licking her kunai, it was easy to overlook.

"Come on, sweet cheeks." Anko sauntered out the door. "I'm not going to wait, so you better come quickly if you don't want to get lost."

Kimi hurried after her, listening as Anko pointed out various rooms and people (interspersed with increasingly vulgar insults). They entered a guarded and sealed room, and several sets of gray uniforms were summarily thrown at Kimi. Apparently, they _did_ have child-sized intelligence uniforms.

Though mildly disturbed at how Anko knew her clothing sizes down to the shoes, Kimi changed without protest. The button-down tunic and slacks were starched, and the black boots were stiff and uncomfortable. Finally, she slipped on the armband that marked her as a member of the Intelligence Division. The armband version of the hitai-ate would later be assigned to her, and it would go on the right arm.

"Wow, you look cute in that." Anko sighed, tilting her head from side to side. "Now that you're all dressed up, it's time to learn about this lovely, wonderful place!"

Kimi nodded. "Of course, Mitarashi-san." It seemed that Anko had eased up on the insults. Hopefully, the other girl had learned what she'd wanted from Kimi's reactions (or lack thereof.)

* * *

Kimi's optimism was short lived. Anko's vitriol had increased, and though Ibiki had rejoined them, the older teen didn't do anything to stop her. Kimi wasn't too bothered by the barbs, however. If anything, she was impressed. Anko had a creative vocabulary, and the way she pivoted from subject to subject to find Kimi's weaknesses was rather impressive. In between disparagement of Kimi's appearance and parentage, Anko had told her a fair amount about the different departments. Ibiki didn't do much besides grin and insert the occasional comment.

"... and watch out for Mibu Moguru. He's the head of Cryptography, and I swear, he's like a fucking ghost. He's not as bad as Yasei, though. She leads COMINT, and she's a sociopath." Anko's smile became fond. "Well, more so than the average ninja. Did you feel bad when your mother died, Kimiko?"

That threw her slightly, though Kimi was rather bemused by Anko's wording. _It would be stranger if I _didn't _feel bad about my mother's death_, she thought wryly.

"How about the heads of Psych and Analysis?" asked Kimi.

"Psych's headed by Yamanaka Sashi, who's boring as hell, and Analysis has Koujaku, who's easy to piss off. I'm guessing you're still guilty about the whole thing, since you weren't strong enough save your mom." Anko pouted and twitched her fingers in a way that didn't seem random.

Kimi exhaled a little too quickly. She'd mostly shoved that out of her mind, acknowledging that it was futile to beat herself up over something that had already happened… but Anko's words had touched a sore spot. Afterall, Kimi _had _known about the Nine-Tail's attack ahead of time. Her guilt was more than survivor's guilt.

"Aw, did I make you sad? Why? Why're you sad?" said Anko, tone innocent. Ibiki shifted to the left, slowing down so that he was behind Kimi. "It's not like you matter. You're still really fucking weak, which means that you've learned nothing after your mommy croaked."

A surge of self-loathing was followed by incandescent anger. Her eyes darted to the right, but Kimi managed to avoid displaying any other tells. _Anko apparently has no qualms with using personal information to insult others._ For a moment, Kimi was tempted to snap back—to prod at Anko's abandonment issues, her constantly questioned loyalty, or even her cursed seal—and then her rage flickered and died.

_What was I thinking? Picking on a kid for telling me the truth?_

Kimi smiled. "You're pretty accurate," she said, acknowledging Anko's harsh comments for the first time. "You must be really good at your job."

Anko blinked, and her lips twitched. She obviously recognized Kimi's answer for what it was. "I can't say the same about you, darling."

Kimi shrugged. "We'll see how long that lasts."

Ibiki returned to his previous position by Anko's side. "Knowing the boss, it won't be very long." He jut out his jaw, intensifying his grin. Kimi smiled hesitantly back. _Was that a compliment?_ Ibiki continued, "In a week, you'll either be competent or thrown into the Genin Corps."

Well, if _that_ happened, Kimi would be able to join the Med Corps. Dr. Nohara had hinted that her offer was still on the table. However, Kimi doubted that Inoichi would just dump her to the curb after all that training. She wasn't as disposable as she used to be, or so she hoped. At the very least, Inoichi would lose a free babysitter if he did that.

Anko turned to him. "Any bets?"

Ibiki snorted. "You still owe me money. I'm not betting with you on anything."

"A hundred ryou that I don't last a week," interrupted Kimi.

"Betting against yourself?" Anko laughed, but it sounded more authentic than the sardonic ones that had accompanied her verbal abuse.

Kimi smiled, a bit brighter than the polite one that had been plastered on her face. "It's a win-win situation. If I make it through the week, I continue to be a ninja in the Intelligence Division. If I fail, then at least I get a hundred ryou."

"I'll take it!" Anko said. She winked before stretching, causing her mesh shirt to rise up. It was clearly meant to be alluring, though the girl couldn't be more than fifteen. "I could use the money to pay back Ibiki. Or dango. Either works."

"I won't take the bet. You must be confident in your skills if you're wagering such a small amount of money." Ibiki scoffed. "If Inoichi picked you as his apprentice, then he clearly sees something in you." He paused as they passed a blue-uniformed kunoichi, signalling to her in a lazy manner. "What it is, though, I don't know." He spoke in a matter-of-fact manner, his words lacking any bite or mockery.

"When you find out, do tell me," said Kimi dryly. Her words tinged with more honesty than she'd intended. Kimi still wasn't sure what Inoichi had planned for, exactly—did he have a plan at all? As she'd learned in the past few years, the Yamanaka clan was more adaptive than the Nara; they tended to focus more on developing assets that could be later used, as opposed to elaborate master plans.

Anko laughed again, and Kimi noted that her kunai was sheathed. "Don't worry, dear. You'll be the first person to hear it."

* * *

After that, both teens altered their behavior. Anko's insults became more like playful banter, though every so often she'd throw a barb sharp enough to make Kimi wince. Anko always smiled with satisfaction after each reaction. Ibiki dropped the intimidating, silent presence of before and started explaining the different rules, expectations, and jobs that Kimi would be doing in T&amp;I. (Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. Ibiki was still intimidating. He just wasn't silent.)

For the most part, Kimi's assigned tasks were trivial. It reminded her of the boring office internship she'd had in college; almost all she did was fill out menial paperwork and work as a gofer. Anko in particular seemed to relish making Kimi fetch random, useless objects. Kimi noticed that the teen seemed to have an odd role in the Division. Instead of the casual, friendly banter the employees shared between each other, the others' treatment of Anko was chilly, to say the least. Ibiki seemed to be the only one who treated Anko with any civility, and Anko reciprocated by restraining her sharp tongue around him. The source of their hostility was obvious; Orochimaru's defection hadn't been forgotten.

The majority of T&amp;I personnel weren't that interested in Kimi, at first. A few treated Kimi with mild disdain, while others ignored her, but their attitudes rapidly changed once they learned she was Inoichi's apprentice. They became friendlier after that, including her in their jokes and conversations.

It was… strange. Though it felt like decades ago—had ten years really passed by?—she'd been respected for her position as a doctor in her last life. But she'd earned that respect through years of study and hard work. During her new life, Kimi had been overlooked in the Academy for her middling grades and civilian status. The Yamanaka had noticed her and helped her, but that wasn't exactly respect. Being treated better, simply because of her association with someone else, was jarring, but she smiled and dealt with it the best she could.

Finally, her shift ended. Inoichi was waiting for her as she left the room, his hands tucked into the pockets of his trenchcoat. His body language was the epitome of relaxed: shoulders loose, legs crossed, head tilted. Kimi didn't know if it was genuine or not. She could never tell with Inoichi.

"Sensei," she greeted.

He smiled. "Kimi-chan. Walk with me."

Kimi fell into step with him as he navigated the maze of hallways. They layout of the Intelligence Division was made to be as obfuscating as possible, with multiple underground levels, dead ends, loops, and hidden entrances. Kimi wasn't sure how truthful it was, but Anko had told her stories of ninja getting lost in the hallways and dying of thirst.

"How did you like working with Ibiki and Anko?" asked Inoichi as they doubled-back through a different entrance.

"I learned a lot about the Intelligence Division." Kimi blinked at the flashing seals on the wall. Inoichi seemed unconcerned, however, so she continued. "Anko is interesting, and Ibiki told me about what I was supposed to do." _If my role here is to be a glorified intern, I'm going to be bored out of my mind._

Inoichi must have guessed her train of thought. "Most days, you'll work under me. Unfortunately, a delicate situation demanded my attention today. During those times, you'll be assisting different departments, doing whatever tasks they ask of you. It'll help you understand the various sections in the Intelligence Division and their roles." He paused. "I'd suggest getting to know Ibiki and Anko. Ibiki is likely to be the head of T&amp;I in a few years, and Anko's incredibly skilled."

"I'll do that." Kimi frowned. Though she knew the cause for the prejudice against Anko, Kimi wasn't supposed to have that knowledge. Besides, she was curious to see what Inoichi would say. "Sensei, I noticed that people treated Anko-san rather poorly. Sure, she's a bit abrasive, but that didn't seem to be cause for their behavior."

Inoichi hesitated, so slightly that Kmi wasn't sure if she'd really seen it. "You caught that, did you?" His tone was an odd mix of pride and regret. "Give me your best guess."

Kimi looked at her feet. "I have no idea. I don't think it's because of something she did, though."

Inoichi pressed his hand against a wall. Light flashed, and the outline of a door appeared. "You're correct." He pushed it open. "Anko was Orochimaru's apprentice and the only survivor of his experiments. After he defected, suspicion naturally fell on her. T&amp;I cleared her completely, but not many people trust her, and others blame her for her teacher's actions."

"Then why does she work in the Intelligence Division?" Kimi followed him down a long hallway with no doors besides the one at the end—not unlike the one she'd seen in the genjutsu. "If she's suspicious, then letting her work in an area with so much sensitive information seems counterproductive."

"We cleared her, remember? Though Anko's skillset isn't meant for this division, others were loathe to let her out of Konoha." said Inoichi. His gaze was steely. "Some people may hold unwarranted suspicions, but that is no reason to deprive the village of capable ninja."

Kimi smiled. "That's very true, sensei." Of course, it was also a powerplay—one that benefited Anko. By taking her in, the Intelligence Division had expressed confidence in its abilities while swooping up a powerful (though potentially compromised) piece. That show of trust was necessary, especially after such a massive failure of their operations. She wasn't too surprised. Inoichi could be underhanded and scheming, but he was neither narrow-minded nor needlessly cruel.

_I'm curious to know what he thinks of Naruto, though. He knew Minato well, and as he demonstrated, Inoichi isn't one to fall prey to prejudice. _

Inoichi smiled back at her, recognizing her questions for what it was. He opened the door, and Kimi squinted at the sunlight. "Now it's time for me to fill another part of the bargain." Apparently, they'd taken a passageway that led to a district just outside the Yamanaka Compound. He briefly placed his hand on her shoulder. "I ended your shift early so that we could work on genjutsu. Are you ready?"

"Of course, sensei." Kimi joined him as they walked into the bustling street, blinking back tears from the unnaturally harsh light. Her skin prickled, and she rubbed her arms as a brisk breeze washed over her. "I've been ready for quite sometime."

* * *

She scuffed her foot against the dirt of the familiar training field, excitement causing her fingers to itch. Genjutsu—using chakra to affect the mind. Kimi had languished for years, searching the limited materials she'd had for anything that could expand her meager knowledge. She didn't bother to hide her eagerness; Inoichi knew. He'd known for years, and he'd held the information just out of her reach.

Her teacher stood at the other end, serene. His chakra signature pulsed minutely as he signalled to someone unknown.

"Genjutsu used to be the hallmark of the ninja," Inoichi began. "Before the time of clans and hidden villages, ninja hid in the shadows. The first ninja were people desperate enough to spy and murder others for payment. Genjutsu, which misdirects and deceives, was their weapon of choice. What is the use of showy jutsu if you don't wish to be seen?" He stepped forward, and the air grew cold.

"Nowadays, most of the emphasis is on overt strength, on winning battles as quickly as possible. Of all the clans, the Yamanaka are the ones who hold most closely to the original creed. An enemy that does not notice you is an enemy that you do not need to fight." Raindrops started to fall as Inoichi continued his approach. Thunder rumbled in the darkening clouds.

"The Yamanaka clan is known for its mastery of the mind. We do not need our hidden techniques to break a person's psyche." He smiled, and the trees began to shake. "The best Yamanaka do not even need chakra. But out of all the ninja arts, we prefer genjutsu."

Kimi blinked, and Inoichi vanished. Wind slammed against her face, twisting her hair into a tangled, sopping mess. Rain fell sideways, icy and unrelenting. Kimi had to get out of the storm before she froze to death. She wiped her face of moisture, rubbing at her eyes, and lightning flashed incessantly.

Her head felt… strange, throbbing and heavy, as if she was forgetting something… wasn't she was supposed to be doing something? _Yes, yes, getting out of the storm,_ whispered the voice in her head. Kimi almost listened to it. The rain had numbed her arms, but they still _itched,_ much like they did when—

"Kai!" she shouted, flaring her chakra intensely. Kimi was back in the sunny training field, and Inoichi was standing where he was before. She touched her hair. It was as frizzy and dry as usual.

Inoichi's smile had taken on a distinctly smug tint. "The longer a genjutsu lasts, the harder it is to break out of it. The best genjutsu users are subtle enough to draw their victims into their illusions piece-by-piece until they no longer think to question it."

Kimi rubbed at her arms. "The genjutsu wasn't as intrusive as it usually is. I didn't feel anything off until towards the end." She held up her hand. "Wait, don't tell me." Some people had chakra hypersensitivity that was magnitudes worse than her own: for those patients, chakra healing had to be done incrementally, so that their body could adjust. "Let me guess: you started with a small amount of chakra in the the genjutsu and gradually increased it."

His smile grew. "Yes, that's how I did it."

She scowled in response. "When did you start the genjutsu? When we came out onto the training field?" Kimi paused, trying to remember when things had first felt different. "Oh, you're an _ass_, sensei. Don't tell me that you did it when we left the Intelligence Division!"

"I did ask if you were ready!" He threw back his head and laughed. "Don't worry. You'll have plenty of chances to get even. After all, you'll be practicing on me."

They started with theory, as they usually did when broaching a new area. Genjutsu casting was divided into two kinds: area affect and localized. Area-affect genjutsu worked on a large amount of people, but it was harder to control and easier to break. Localized genjutsu was the opposite. As Inoichi said, it was the difference between a net and a knife. Kimi knew one of each: her silencing one, which prevented people from overhearing her conversations, and the dramatically named "heart of terror," which simply caused a sudden feeling of fear in its victims.

Genjutsu _effect _also had two divisions: evocative and invocative. The former drew upon the victim's own memories, and the latter was controlled by the caster. Until Kimi had a better grasp on genjutsu, she would only be learning the invocative kind. Evocative genjutsu was generally more powerful, more believable—but it was easier to turn against the caster.

Kimi nodded. Inoichi's past lessons and the Academy had gone over most of it.

He continued, "The more parts of the brain that the genjutsu affects, the harder the genjutsu is to use. The genjutsu that you know are the simplest kind; one is auditory, and the other causes a single, strong emotion. Today, I will be teaching you one that is a little more complicated: it has an auditory and visual component. Once you master those components, you can even add an emotional response." Inoichi paused. "The hardest part of genjutsu is avoiding the backlash. The brain automatically wants to mimic the parallel flow of its chakra in another brain. Be careful that you don't fall prey to your own illusions or worse."

"I understand." Kimi grimaced. She'd seen the nasty consequences of improper genjutsu, from ruptured coils to diffuse axonal injuries. Medical jutsu was powerful, but it could rarely heal brain injuries of that magnitude. Genjutsu could be just as devastating to the caster as the victim.

Inoichi ran through the handsigns twice. "This is one of my favorite genjutsu, and it's relatively easy. It makes the victim feel like the shadows are growing and whispering. Of course, Shikaku would follow it up by _actually _making the shadows move. You're not on a team with a Nara, but this genjutsu is great for intimidation." He cast it on her, and after a few moments of uncomfortable, painful observation, Kimi easily broke out of it. "Now, it's your turn."

Kimi made the hand seals slowly, feeling her chakra shift with each sign. Genjutsu consisted of mostly Yin chakra. Unlike medical jutsu, it didn't need the chakra to be purified. Some genjutsu, mainly the ones that had physical components, also required Yang chakra. This one was mostly Yin, but it used a little Yang chakra to make the auditory components more realistic. Just before she cast the genjutsu, she hesitated. With new medical jutsu, Kimi never tested it out on a human subject. Miscast genjutsu could be even more damaging than medical mishaps.

"Sensei, are you sure?"

"Don't worry about me," said Inoichi. He winked at her in a way that was supposed to be reassuring. "I'm more than capable of handling anything you throw at me."

She nodded, still doubtful. Kimi closed her eyes, focusing on each strand, and sent a thin net of chakra over her teacher. Once the genjutsu was settled in, Kimi could see a faint afterimage overlayed on her vision. Genjutsu specialists called it "the ghost." It allowed the caster to kept control of the illusion, though paying the afterimage too much attention could lead to the brain accepting it as the new reality. Hence the name.

The shadows of the trees rustled and lengthened, growing eyes and pale mouths. Their teeth gnashed, and Kimi struggled as the image grew warped and darker, and—

"Kai." Inoichi's sharp word cut through her illusion.

Chakra snapped back into her own mind, and she winced. Kimi was going to have a killer headache. Her hand glowed with green light as she pressed it to her temples.

"Genjutsu backlash is nasty, isn't it?" He seemed more amused than concerned. "In time, you'll learn how to adjust to the flood of chakra or release the illusion before they end it."

Her mind felt less like it was about to fall out of her head, but it still throbbed. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good," said Inoichi. "Now, do it again."

* * *

It was her day off, and Kimi was babysitting. Of course she was.

"Tell me more stories, Kibi-nee!" shouted Ino as she climbed over her. "More, more!"

"Ask nicely, Ino," Kimi reprimanded.

The girl huffed. "Kibi-nee, please?" She put her hands on her hips and pouted.

Kimi tried not to roll her eyes as she patted Ino on the head. "Thank you for your good manners."

Though adorable, the three-year old was quite bossy and precocious. _I wonder where she got it from. Misaki had been effortlessly polite, while Inoichi always seems pleasant. Well, I wouldn't be that surprised if Inoichi was bossy as a kid…_

"Please! Please, please!" She bounced up and down in Kimi's lap, causing the older girl to wince. "Shika, tell Kibi-nee! Story, story!"

Shikamaru, who was half-dozing against Kimi's shoulder, blinked. He looked at Ino, sighed, and adjusted his position so that he'd no longer be jostled by Ino's antics. Chouji gnawed on a lollipop beside him, entirely unconcerned.

"If I ask for a story, then we have to play shogi," Shikamaru mumbled. "And I get to take a nap without you being loud."

Ino frowned. "Shogi? But it's boring!" She suddenly beamed, which caused Kimi's stomach to sink. Clearly, Ino had something planned. "Okay, Shika! So now you gotta ask!"

"Fine. Could we have a story, please?" Shikamaru blinked again, blearily.

Chouji perked up at that. "It's storytime?" He scooched closer to Shikamaru.

Beset by cuteness on all three sides, Kimi couldn't help but give in. "Fine, fine. I'll tell you—"

"The ring one!" Ino shouted into Kimi's ear.

"Not so loud, Ino," said Kimi, giving her a look. Ino mumbled an apology and immediately quieted.

"Eh?" whined Chouji. "I wanna the chocolate boy!"

The two kids started to squabble, but Shikamaru cut through them with two words.

"Shogi first."

"Why?" Ino glared at him.

Shikamaru sighed again. "Because we'll fall asleep."

Ino's glare softened to a contemplative stare. She looked at him for a good minute before giving him a short nod.

"Okay!" she chirped. "Kibi-nee will play. She's big and smart." Her grin grew cheeky. "More, more fun than me!"

The Nara turned thoughtful, giving Kimi a once-over. "Sure," he agreed.

Kimi rolled her eyes at Ino's manipulations. The girl was already capable of cajoling and bribing the boys to do what she wanted. Inoichi encouraged it, of course.

"I warn you, I'm not very good. I haven't played in a long time." Now that she thought about it, she hadn't played shogi since her last match with Shikaku. Kimi helped Shikamaru lift the shogi board from the cabinet. "If you're expecting a hard fight, you'll probably be disappointed."

"That's okay." Shikamaru had said it in a deadpan, unsurprised voice, as if he hadn't expected her to ever pose a challenge.

Despite herself, Kimi's eye twitched. While Kimi fully admitted that Shikamaru was a bonafide genius, it still annoyed her that a three-year old thought so little of her. She began to set up the pieces, though to her embarrassment, Shikamaru had to correct the position of a few. He looked at her, disappointed, before grumbling that they'd better get it over with.

Kimi still remembered how most of the pieces moved, thankfully. The match proceeded quietly, interrupted only by Ino's occasional comment. However, Shikamaru seemed very unhappy. His expression, which had been a slight frown at the start of the game, had become a deep scowl. After Kimi moved a pawn, Shikamaru finally broke his silence.

"That doesn't make sense!" he said loudly, startling them all. "Why are you playing like that?"

Kimi stared at the normally placid boy. "Did I move the piece incorrectly?" It had been a while, but Kimi liked to think that she remembered how to move a _pawn_.

"No!" Shikamaru glared at the board. "You're not doing the pattern right!"

Kimi scratched her head. "Sorry?"

Shikamaru's glare intensified before he moved a piece. The game continued smoothly from there, though Shikamaru seemed ruffled by something. The loss of composure carried over to his playing; he made a few mistakes that Kimi didn't hesitate to take advantage of. It was embarrassingly difficult, but Kimi did manage bring it to checkmate.

"That was a good game, Shika-kun," she said, giving him a sincere smile, doing her best not to let her smugness show. _Seriously, it's shameful that I feel this happy about beating a toddler…_

Shikamaru muttered something inaudible as Kimi cleaned up.

"Now, story!" Ino practically fell on the boy, annoying him enough to get him to move. She then bounded over to Kimi, sitting beside her in a model of patience. Chouji joined her, and after a moment, Shikamaru did, too. Once all the kids were comfortable, Kimi began.

"Let's return to the story…"

Kimi started to tell a tale that included both a quest to destroy the ring and a chocolate factory. Somewhere along the road, Furodo gained super-cool mind jutsu and a magic, neverending bag of chips. As expected, the kids fell asleep halfway through. Ino was sprawled over Chouji, who was squishing Shikamaru, who was firmly curled against Kimi.

She sighed softly, carefully, as to not wake them. Despite the dogpile of elbows and knees, Kimi felt quite comfortable—like the summers of her first childhood, when all her younger brothers would huddle with her on the couch as they watched horror movies. The memory was accompanied by a faint pang of painful nostalgia.. Her writings in the journal were fresher than the memories she had left. Her recollections of her last life had faded greatly, enough so that it felt like a long, old dream.

_How the times have changed,_ mused Kimi. _I used to think that _this _life was a dream, and now it feels like my last one was..._

Her eyes trailed over the three children, and she couldn't help but smile. Despite the reminder of her old life, she felt content.

* * *

Inoichi tossed her a file. Kimi scowled at him, hunched in a corner of his office. He was taking advantage of her apprenticeship under him to make her do more paperwork. Lovely.

"Alright, Kimi-chan," he said cheerfully. "I'm giving you a choice. You can either categorize these personnel reports in the file cabinets, or you can organize these reports from Kumo."

She perked up at the mention of the foreign village. Konoha obviously limited reports of countries outside of the Land of Fire. And with her formerly nonexistent clearance, Kimi had learned nothing accurate about the other villages.

"I'll take the file from Kumo." She skimmed through the papers, already bored by the dry tone. The more pressing matter, of course, was the next major event. After the Attack, she'd learned from her mistake. If her timeline was accurate, Kumo would be attempting a kidnapping in a year, and Kimi would be in a slightly better position to change it. With a sigh, she settled down to read the thick file. There was an art to reading intelligence reports, and the majority of the art depended on not falling asleep.

Most of the reports were general information—Inoichi wouldn't give her anything too classified, of course—but halfway through, Kimi began to notice an interesting trend.

"_A clandestine source from the capital of Lightning Country observed that Kumo was accepting more missions from the Rice Country, traditionally considered to be in Konoha's sphere…"_

"_The Daimyo of Lightning has increased efforts to gain control of the Kaizoku sea…"_

"_Refugees of the Bloodline Purges in Kiri have continued to flee, settling predominantly in Tea Country. Lightning Country has begun to offer asylum…"_

"_Kumo outposts in the Land of Hot Springs have expanded the number of active personnel…"_

Konoha and Kumo both (openly) preferred protection missions, but Kumo had begun encroaching more frequently on Konoha's sphere of influence. Not only that, they had experienced a surge of refugees from Kiri. Kumo had never been known for its bloodlines, but with their recent addition, that could change. Clearly, they were taking advantage of Konoha's still-weak position...

"Kimi-chan, you seem deep in thought." Inoichi raised an eyebrow at her.

She blinked, realizing that she'd been staring at one paper for a while.

"Sorry, sensei. I'll get back to organizing." She bit back another sigh. Still, it was worth looking into. The more she knew about Kumo, the more capable she was of stopping what they'd planned.

* * *

Kimi sat in a stall by the fifth training ground, book in hand. Inoichi had lent her _Mastery of Genjutsu_ from the Yamanaka library, and normally, Kimi would be entirely focused on the words. Now, however, she was simply flipping through the pages. Kimi had used the Intelligence Division's records to find the grounds that Itachi's team trained at. After that, she'd determined the fastest route from the there to the Uchiha District and positioned herself at a yakisoba food place. Kimi felt a bit like a stalker, but it couldn't be helped. Finally, her patience was rewarded as the Uchiha heir strolled by.

"Itachi-kun!" she called out, waving. "Fancy seeing you here!"

His step didn't even falter as he turned and approached her. "Kimi-san," he greeted. His dark eyes went from her book to her uniform. "Were you waiting for me?"

Kimi smirked. "This stall has great yakisoba. Join me?"

Itachi stared at her for a good ten seconds before he sat beside her. "I have already eaten, but I am not opposed to keeping you company."

"I'm not too hungry, either." Kimi's smirk grew at the way his eyebrows pinched together. The change in his expression was minute, but Kimi could tell that he was exasperated.

"Your facade is paltry," Itachi said slowly, "and it is made weaker by your immediate abandonment of it."

"Who said that it was a facade?" She closed her book and set in on the counter. "I certainly don't remember saying that."

Itachi's lips twitched downwards. "What is it that you need, Kimi-san?"

"It's not a question of _need_ but _want._" Her smile grew softer. "I wanted to see how you were doing, Itachi-san. We're friends, aren't we?"

He stilled—well, he became stiller than before. "Your method of expressing that is rather strange."

"Yes, well…" Kimi sighed, but her expression didn't change. "I had a feeling that you wouldn't reach out on your own. And since the responsibility fell to me, I decided to have a little fun with it."

He did an admirable job of keeping his expression blank, and Kimi wondered if she'd made a mistake.

"I am not accustomed to teasing," he admitted finally, soft and polite. "Only Shisui does it with any regularity."

Kimi took the olive branch. "No," she agreed. "And I may have pushed too far." She adjusted her posture, leaning back and letting it become more natural. Her teasing mask gave way to something rueful. "The Intelligence Division must have rubbed off on me. Everyone is sardonic there. After a while, the attitude becomes second nature."

_There_. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. He was still on guard, yes, but she'd clearly struck the right chord.

"'I see with eyes both mine and not,'" Itachi quoted. His eyes were half-lidded and lashed, gleaming with understanding.

"'And so, the masked becomes the mask,'" she completed the couplet with some surprise.

_How tragic, that an eight year old empathizes with that sentiment…_

It was from a famous play written during First Shinobi War. The majority of ninja considered it to be sentimental drivel, but Inoichi had made her memorize the more famous lines anyway. It was most civilians' first exposure to the ninja life, even if it was exaggerated beyond belief. The play was also quite quotable, as well as being the exact sort of thing the Uchiha would disapprove of. She hadn't expected Itachi to know it. Then again, he _was_ a pacifistic genius.

"Are you enjoying your apprenticeship in the Intelligence Division?" Itachi usually spoke in a way that suggested he knew the answer to all his questions: quietly confident but no less polite.

She mulled it over. "I am," Kimi said, honest for once. She'd traded one mask for another, but this one was more to her liking. "And are you enjoying training with your team?"

He nodded. "Shorai-sensei is very capable, even if her teaching methods are unorthodox. My two teammates are also competent."

"Do you _like_ them?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Itachi paused and then nodded again. "Yes." He stood up. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Kimi-san, but I must go."

Kimi smiled, unsurprised. "Same to you. I'll see you later?"

"Perhaps next week. This same time would be a suitable for you?"

This time, she _was_ taken aback. Kimi glanced at Itachi, who hadn't moved. It wasn't enough to be a ghost of a smile—perhaps "suggestion" would be a better word—but Itachi's expression had changed enough to hint at amusement.

"Kimi-san, you admonished me for never taking the initiative." His eyelashes curved downwards, enough so that Kimi wasn't sure if she'd imagined the trace of red in his eyes. "Is it so unexpected that I extended a hand?"

She stared, her eyes dropping to his slender, pale fingers. He'd had a tell there, before. They were now folded and perfectly still. Kimi met his gaze. His dark eyes were crinkled slightly, turning the hint into a firm sign. Of amusement, yes, but also acknowledgement and pride.

_So he fixed that, did he?_

"Of course not," she said, smiling. "I'll see you next week, then."

Kimi made a few hand-signs, this time using a variant that the Uchiha Police preferred: _Meeting date confirmed?_ She held back a smirk at his sudden blank expression.

_Confirmed,_ he signed back, giving her a slow look. "It will be my pleasure," he said out loud. With a short bow, Itachi stepped back and disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

Shikaku was once again disappointed by the quality of the alcohol.

"This has to be mostly water," he grumbled. "Why don't you ever give me the good stuff?"

"You're not worth it," replied Inoichi, rolling his eyes. "You should be glad I'm giving you sake at all." He glanced at the already empty glass. "That was fast, even for you. Is your team giving you that much trouble?"

Shikaku snorted, but he took the bait. "They're good kids. Work well together, too. It helps that they all were friends before the team assignments."

"Oh?" Inoichi sipped his own glass. There was a third, empty one on the table; Inoichi had set it for three, forgetting that Chouza was occupied with clan-head duties.

"Yeah, so I don't have any of the problems associated with getting them to like each other." He chuckled. "It's not like you didn't know that already. Your little apprentice is the reason why I have a team in the first place."

"That's not the only reason," said Inoichi mildly. It was a time-honored tradition to secure one's position by taking students. Every Hokage since the Niidaime had done so—the best way to prove one's ability was by passing skills and knowledge down to the next generation. Inoichi set his drink down, becoming serious. Shikaku, noticing the change, raised his eyebrows.

"What is it?"

"Our gamble may have had more consequences than initially planned for," said Inoichi, slowly. "I took a look at the original team assignments before I submitted our requests."

"And?" Shikaku prompted.

"Uchiha Itachi's team was different." Inoichi stared at his glass. "It consisted of jounin Minazuki Yuuki, genin Izumo Tenma, and Inari Shinko."

The Nara blinked, mind whirring. "Wait, really? Yuuki's a competent jounin, but he isn't nearly high-profile enough for the genius Uchiha heir. And the other two, they have to be from no-name families or civilian—" He stopped. "Oh, shit."

Inoichi winced. "It would've been quite the snub. The Uchiha are already unhappy."

Shikaku leaned forward and pressed his fingertips together. "But our request… it changed the dynamic. With both you and me taking students, I'm guessing that the Sandaime had enough leverage to force his daughter out of ANBU." Everyone knew that Sarutobi Shorai was a career black-ops agent, so it was quite a surprise that she'd put aside the mask to take on a team.

"And I hear that the Sarutobi clan is pressuring her for a child, anyway. The Hokage probably used that to cover up her shift in career choices." Inoichi sounded almost admiring.

"Add the Inuzuka heiress to the team, and suddenly, it's looking good," finished Shikaku. "I heard that Fugaku was happy about the team assignments."

"Finally." Inoichi gave a weak smile. "That man is impossible to satisfy, especially when it concerns his children." The joke fell flat, but the Nara barely heard it.

Shikaku blinked as he considered hundreds of connections in a second. Considering the position of Uchiha, the slight was definitely intentional.

"Someone is plotting to sabotage the standing of the Uchiha," Shikaku said, grim. He'd heard rumors and grumbling about the disatisfaction of the Uchiha, but he'd paid them little attention before now, too concerned about the recovering position of Konoha in the international sphere.

Inoichi, being the head of the Intelligence Division, would normally sign off on the team assignments. The original, insulting team that Itachi had been placed on would have never been accepted by Inoichi; it had to have been changed after Inoichi had passed the files off to the Hokage. That narrowed the culprits down to the Hokage and the Elder Council. The Sandaime was somewhat wary of the Uchiha, but he would never go that far. Though his former teammates Koharu and Homura were more of hardliners than he was, they were fiercely loyal and would never defy him so openly.

That left one man: Shimura Danzo. Everyone knew of his suspicion of the Uchiha. However, Shikaku hadn't expected him to actively undermine the clan. That was borderline seditious. As things stood, however, Danzo's move to change the snub the Uchiha would probably be seen with appreciation, even if the Hokage wouldn't be nearly as happy.

"Oh, hell," murmured Inoichi with horror. "That's worse than we thought."

"Yeah." Shikaku looked down, rearranging his plans. "We'll have to tread carefully from here."

They looked at each other with bleak understanding. They couldn't let this stand—it set a dangerous precedent and weakened the strength of the village.

Shikaku sighed. "This is going to be troublesome."

And what an understatement that was.

* * *

Kimi followed Inoichi into one of the many holding cells scattered throughout the enormous compound. It was engineered to be as depressing a possible, with too-harsh lights, drab paint, and cramped jails.

"Well, Kimi-chan," said Inoichi, much too enthusiastic for the scenery, "I think you're finally ready to use genjutsu on hostiles."

"That's great." Kimi gave him a flat look. "Is that why you brought me here?"

"Smart girl." He ruffled her hair, which Kimi tolerated with exasperation.

They passed three captives as they continued onwards. One was sleeping, the other seemed terrified (Kimi duly noted that he was the same civilian man she had seen on her first day), and the third was looking straight at them. Inoichi stopped in front of him.

"Here we are!" her teacher announced brightly.

The man chuckled. His tanned skin was sallow, and his hair hung limp, but the gleam in his eyes was no less sharp.

"What an honor," he said, speaking with the distinctive twang of the Land of Water. "I love visitors."

Inoichi ignored him, facing Kimi instead. "Now, use the genjutsu that I taught you. It should be easy! His chakra's been sealed." He gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kimi saw the captive tense. The humor had fled from his expression, but it seemed like _anticipation _had replaced it. Her doubts only grew. _I don't think that's the kind of man who'd be intimidated by the shadow genjutsu._ There was also the whole, rather unethical taste that the situation left in her mouth.

"Don't worry about hurting him." Inoichi's tone was still light and friendly. "He's a captured enemy ninja with a penchant for raping and murdering civilians. If you hurt him, he'll deserve it."

The man laughed again. "He's right, kid." He tilted his head. "And I don't regret it, either." His anticipation visibly increased as he flexed each muscle in his body.

Well, that didn't make it _right_, but Kimi didn't feel as conflicted.

"Go on, Kimi-chan," prompted Inoichi.

Pushing down the dirty feeling that had washed over her, Kimi ran through the hand-signs before casting the web of chakra. The ghost flickered in her vision as she controlled the genjutsu, and the shadows began to twist and gnash. The whispering grew louder as she increased the flow of chakra to his ears. She relaxed slightly. It was no different from the times she'd done it with Inoichi.

Then, Kimi could see the shadows grow darker and rear back, though she hadn't intended for the shadows to move away from the captive—

And her chakra began to bleed as she lost control of the strings, as her chakra no longer responded—

The world spun and surged, like years ago, like her death and the nightmares when her very brain betrayed her—

Kimi could dimly hear Inoichi's voice and someone's laughter and she didn't care since everything was fading—

She reached out for her chakra and panicking and desperate _and God she was dying again_—

Then she _pulled—_

* * *

**AN:** Now begins part two. The next chapter should have a major canon event, as well as the introduction of a few more canon characters. (By the way, the team that Itachi was supposed to have is actually the canon one.)

Thanks to **immatx** for beta-reading the story. His help has been invaluable.

I am looking for beta-readers for this story and others. Please PM me or leave a review if you're interested. Also, the companion fic **_Between the Spaces_ **has also been updated. It has Itachi's POV, a brief scene involving Shikaku, and a few notes about timeline changes.

The recommendation for this chapter is not an SI/OC-Insert fic. However, it is absolutely, wonderfully glorious. It's the best Sakura-centric story I've ever read, and I've also borrowed the idea of "the ghost" from it, as well as the divisions of genjutsu effect. I'm speaking of_** Kill Your Heroes**_ by **Evil Is A Relative Term**_,_ of course. You should really read it.

As always, thank you for your support. I would have never finished this chapter without the encouragement of all your reviews. Have a wonderful New Year.


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